Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has been accused of campaign finance violations by a government watchdog group, which has called for an investigation by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
On Wednesday, the Foundation for Accountability and Public Trust (FACT) submitted Complaints have been filed with the Federal Election Commission against Brown, the Friends of Sherrod Brown Election Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and the Ohio Grassroots Victory Fund Joint Chest Committee. New York Post and a copy of the application.
Complaints Assert “We have reason to believe that the defendants illegally solicited excessive contributions for Mr. Brown’s campaign in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and Federal Election Commission rules.”
FACT alleges two potential violations: First, Brown and other defendants solicited contributions for the Democratic primary “long after the Ohio primary had concluded, even though the campaign had no primary debt.”
The filing includes an image of an ActBlue fundraising page that appears to be from May 8. The page states that the first $3,300 or $5,000 donated to the joint fundraising committee by an individual or multi-candidate PAC will be “allocated to Friends of Sherrod Brown to be used toward the primary election.”
May 8 came more than a month after the March 19 Democratic primary, in which Brown did not face an opponent.
“The next $3,300/$5,000 from individual or multi-candidate PACs will be allocated to Friends of Sherrod Brown and will be used for the general election,” the page stated, according to the filing.
As of Thursday, May 23, the website clearly stated: Has been updated He stated that the first $3,300 or $5,000 donations would go toward supporting Brown’s general election campaign.
“We have reason to believe that Sherrod Brown and friends of Sherrod Brown may have violated FECA and FEC rules multiple times by continuing to solicit funds for an election that took place long ago when they had no election debts whatsoever,” FACT argues.
As for the second allegation, FACT alleges that the wording on the page in the May 8 edition stated that all donations up to $10,000 to the Ohio Grassroots Victory Fund would be used to support Brown’s reelection.
According to FACT’s lawsuit, the website stated that “donations to the Ohio Grassroots Victory Fund will be used to support voter outreach and turnout efforts to help Sherrod win this November.”
FACT argues that the language gives it “reason to believe” that some donors to the Joint Fundraising Committee gave with the understanding that “their funds would be used to support the party’s ‘voter turnout operations,’ specifically for Sherrod Brown.”
This, FACT claims, means that “every dollar donated to the state party through Brown State Party is [joint fundraising committee] It should be considered a general election donation to Sherrod Brown.”
Fact argues that the donation to the Ohio Grassroots Victory Fund should be classified as a “personal contribution” to Brown “to avoid a direct circumvention of the restrictions.”
The watchdog group called on the FEC to investigate Brown and “seek appropriate sanctions for any violations by Mr. Brown and his agents.”
Brown is one of the nation’s most vulnerable Democratic senators seeking re-election this election, and will face Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who is endorsed by President Trump, in the general election.
