CLUB FOR CORRUPTION (GOP STYLE)

FEC FILES SUIT AGAINST CLUB FOR GROWTH INC.

WASHINGTON --- The Federal Election Commission (FEC) today filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Club for Growth Inc. (Club) alleging that the Club has violated the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) by failing to register as a political committee even as it raised and spent millions of dollars to affect Congressional elections in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 campaigns.

The FEC’s court filing describes numerous solicitations by the Club between 2000 and 2004 which stated that funds raised would be used to help elect or defeat specific Congressional candidates, making proceeds from these solicitations contributions under the law. The Club also spent more than $1 million in the last three cycles on advertising related to specific federal campaigns, often advocating the election or defeat of candidates.

The complaint alleges that the Club, having met the threshold for political committee status, received more than $4 million in 2004 alone in contributions that exceeded limits contained in the FECA. The Club also accepted nearly $350,000 in 2000 and 2001 from corporations who are prohibited from making contributions in federal elections.