Jeb Bush SuperPAC files FEC complaint against Donald Trump

[randomname]

674714375249350660

[fcreature]

Read through it. Sounds like a legit complaint to me. I won't be holding my breath for the FEC to act, however.

[NapoleonIII]

I hope Trump is found guilty, then appeals all the way to SCOTUS and the ban on corporate donations and donation limits is struck down as unconstitutional.

[randomname]

Trump's threat to sue Bush donor backfires

Complaint to FEC faults Trump for using a company lawyer for campaign work.

By Isaac Arnsdorf

12/09/15 04:23 PM EST
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Donald Trump's threats to sue just sparked a bigger legal fight.

Charlie Spies, the Republican campaign-finance whiz who counsels PACs supporting Jeb Bush, is alleging that Trump illegally mixed business and politics when his corporate attorney warned the billionaire's opponents that attack ads could trigger defamation lawsuits. The claim comes in a complaint filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission that was obtained exclusively by POLITICO.

Alan Garten, general counsel of the Trump Organization, FedEx'ed bombastic cease-and-desist letters on company letterhead to the Club for Growth, the Right to Rise leadership PAC, and Mike Fernandez, one of Bush's biggest donors. Spies is alleging that Trump crossed a line by using corporate resources to do his campaign's "dirty work."

In a snarky return salvo, Spies quipped about Trump's bankruptcies, reality show fame, plan to build a wall on the Mexican border, and past donations to Democrats. He also questioned Garten's grasp of election law, noting that he addressed his threat to the Right to Rise leadership PAC, which contributes to candidates but doesn't make ads, instead of the well-funded super PAC by the same name.
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"In light of your confusion over the difference between Leadership PACs and Super PACs, we have to assume you may also be unaware of the FEC's prohibition on a federal candidate's use of corporate resources for campaign purposes," Spies wrote. "Just as your client is attempting to quickly learn the basics of foreign policy, we wish you personally the best in your attempts to learn election law."

Spies called on the FEC to investigate immediately and to make a referral to the Justice Department.

A Trump campaign spokeswoman didn't immediately answer a request for comment.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/trumps-threat-to-sue-bush-donor-backfires-216606

[angelatc]

Lawyers and accountants are allowed to volunteer their time, and it doesn't have to be declared.

[carlton]

https://media.giphy.com/media/d2Z3koAn0s0cqMKI/giphy.gif

[fcreature]

Lawyers and accountants are allowed to volunteer their time, and it doesn't have to be declared.

Using company letterhead would indicate that this was not donated time, as you suggest. This in itself proves Trump is mixing company resources here. I'm sure that there is much more of this going on, but would require an investigate as is being called for.

[dude58677]

https://media.giphy.com/media/d2Z3koAn0s0cqMKI/giphy.gif


LOL, where did you find that gif or did you make it yourself? If you did make it yourself how did you do it?

[angelatc]

Using company letterhead would indicate that this was not donated time, as you suggest. This in itself proves Trump is mixing company resources here. I'm sure that there is much more of this going on, but would require an investigate as is being called for.

Yeah you're right - i missed the part about the company letterhead. But the whole rule is a violation of the First Amendment.

And honestly, all the have to do is amend the report, and they're back in compliance.

[CPUd]

I doubt Team Jeb is looking for it to go anywhere, they just wanted an excuse to get press attention to the correspondence.

[carlton]

LOL, where did you find that gif or did you make it yourself? If you did make it yourself how did you do it?

Reddit is my friend