NLPC Accuses George Soros of Apparent Election Law Violations
Ethics Group Files Extensive FEC Complaint Today
Date: January 18, 2005
Contact: Ken Boehm 703-237-1970
Website: www.nlpc.org
Ken Boehm, Chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), announced that the group today filed a Complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against billionaire George Soros, alleging extensive apparent violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act.
During October, Soros undertook a media and speaking tour to swing states during which he called for the defeat of President Bush. His appearances coincided with two-page newspaper ads and mass mailings to voters with the same theme.
Also named as Respondents in the Complaint are Fenton Communications, which assisted with the campaign, and two nonprofit organizations that hosted Soros speeches: The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and the Metropolitan Club of Columbus, Ohio.
NLPC alleges Soros failed to report and disclose the following expenditures connected to his anti-Bush campaign, as required:
• Travel and administrative costs associated with a multi-city political tour including transportation and lodging for the billionaire and his entourage, telephone, photocopying, commercial press release services, subsidies for groups hosting Soros, press luncheons, etc.
• Costs to purchase or rent the mailing lists required for the 2 million-piece mailing of a brochure entitled, “Why We Must Not Re-elect President Bush.”
• Costs associated with Fenton Communications handling media relations for what one Fenton release called “an intensive one-month campaign.”
• Costs associated with the special printing of a paperback version of Soros’s book, calling for the defeat of President Bush.
• Costs – including compensation or travel costs - associated with presence on the tour of Mr. Soros’s longtime aide and reported spokesman for Soros Fund Management, Mr. Michael Vachon.
• Costs for what Soros described as his “bevy of lawyers.”
The Complaint reads, in part, “Dodgy practices of all sorts meant to frustrate public disclosure have been investigated, exposed and penalized. This case may well represent the quintessential reason for public disclosure…And it makes many past violations of the public disclosure provisions of election law pale in comparison.”
Boehm commented, “Soros has bankrolled the groups that have lobbied for limits on political giving and for disclosure. But he apparently believes that the law should only apply to other people, and not to himself.”
During the tour, Soros was confronted by the “Soros Truth Squad,” organized by NLPC, which had a presence at Soros speeches in five cities. Soros attacked NLPC as “shady.” On October 28, 2004, a press conference conducted by NLPC President Peter Flaherty at the National Press Club was disrupted by Soros aide Michael Vachon and an attorney named Steven Ross, who said he worked for Soros.
NLPC has a track record of success before the FEC. On March 26, 2004, the FEC fined two leadership PACs associated with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a total of $21,000 in response to an NLPC Complaint. On January 13, 2004, the FEC ruled in response to another NLPC Complaint that Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) illegally failed to disclose large loans to her campaign just prior to her 2000 Senate election.
An FEC Complaint filed by NLPC on April 18, 2003 resulted in a Conciliation Agreement under which Al Sharpton had to pay a $5,500 fine for late filing of disclosure documents. Another Complaint, filed on February 2, 2004 and extensively amended on February 5, 2004, asked the FEC to deny Sharpton taxpayer matching funds.
On May 13, 2004, the FEC ruled that Sharpton must return $100,000 that he has received in federal matching funds. This followed the FEC’s April 29, 2004 ruling that payment on an additional $79,709, for which Sharpton had purportedly qualified, would not be made.
A pdf of the 41-page Complaint is available at www.nlpc.org.
NLPC promotes ethics in public life through research, education and legal action. The group sponsors the Government Integrity Project.
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