The Federal Election Commission (FEC), the very agency charged with regulating money in politics, has repeatedly fallen short in its duties over the past decade. Specifically, it has consistently failed to conduct oversight and enforce federal campaign finance laws, including the laws that prohibit super PACs and other outside groups — including some that do not disclose their donors — from coordinating with candidates or political parties.
A new advisory opinion is just the latest example of the agency's shortcomings. In a new op-ed for The Hill, CLC Director of Federal Campaign Finance Reform Saurav Ghosh examines this advisory opinion, concluding that:
"What was once patently unlawful may soon be commonplace. The FEC appears to have opened the door to millions of dollars in coordinated campaign expenditures, allowing outside groups — and their wealthy donors, who might not even be disclosed to the public — to pay for candidates’ ground game. This not only runs counter to federal law; it’s terrible policy."
Read the full op-ed here.
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A public meeting of the Federal Election Commission on February 14, 2023. Photo by Casey Atkins/Campaign Legal Center