The FEC has been sued in federal court by government watchdog groups for failing to investigate accusations of the Trump campaign’s coordination with Russia.
Watchdogs Sue The FEC For Not Investigating Trump/Russia Coordination
The groups Free Speech For People and Campaign for Accountability announced their federal lawsuit in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:
Nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations Free Speech For People and Campaign for Accountability today filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in the U.S. District Court in D.C. They are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief for the Commission’s failure to respond to a five-year-old complaint regarding the Russian government’s political spending in the 2016 election and coordination with former President Trump’s campaign.
In December 2016, Free Speech For People and Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against the Russian Federation and the Trump campaign. The 2016 administrative complaint alleged that the Russian government paid for computer hacks, social media posts, and paid political advertisements to influence the 2016 election and that the Trump campaign engaged in “coordination” with the Russian government.
“Coordination” is a specific legal standard under the Federal Election Campaign Act and the FEC’s regulations, which does not require an agreement between the parties. The investigation that the FEC was asked to conduct would therefore have been distinct from the Mueller investigation, which focused on “conspiracy” and the higher burden of criminal offenses. The organizations argue that the FEC’s nearly five-year delay in acting on their initial complaint was contrary to the law and deprived the plaintiffs and the American public of vital information regarding campaign financing in 2016 and potential use of online platforms to corrupt our democracy–information that was not revealed by the Mueller investigation or other investigations of the 2020 election.
The Groups Want The FEC To Investigate Trump And Russia
The groups want answers to questions like, how much did Russia spend? Who did they make payments to? When were the payments made? How much of this activity was coordinated with the Trump campaign?
The Trump/Russia coordination remains a bit of a modern history blackhole, and the only way to prevent another foreign government from interfering to install their own president is to find out how Trump and Russia coordinated in 2016.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements. Awards and Professional Memberships Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
