Shortly after she was elected to Congress, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) appeared in an ad for the “Stop Socialism Now PAC” in which she specifically asked for donations.
That ask was in violation of federal corruption laws, according to a report from ProPublica:
“Under federal law, candidates and elected officials cannot ‘solicit, receive, direct, transfer, or spend funds in connection with an election … unless the funds are subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements’ of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.”
Super PACs such as the one Greene appeared in the ad for, are not subject to limitations, but Greene is, and that’s where she could well be in trouble under federal campaign finance laws.
Did Greene break the law?
Paul S. Ryan of Common Cause said the ad Greene starred in is very clearly in violation of the law:
“This communication constitutes an illegal solicitation by a member of Congress of unlimited funds.”
The U.S. Supreme Court agrees with Ryan, and has ruled that there are indeed limitations on candidates soliciting funds outside of the set campaign limits because large contributions lead to corruption and undermine faith in the political process.
Greene appeared in the Super PACs ads at the behest of Rick Shaftan, a political consultant who also made ads for Greene’s 2020 congressional campaign. Shaftan has a history of making racist comments, so it’s no surprise that he and Greene became such fast friends.
Shaftan’s ads were seen as instrumental in helping Green win the GOP nomination in her district, and the TV spots also pandered to right-wing sensibilities. One of them simulated “an explosion at an enormous Confederate monument in Stone Mountain, Georgia, as Greene says, ‘The socialist left won’t stop until America is destroyed.’ In another ad, Greene brandishes an assault rifle and appears to blow up targets labeled ‘gun control’ and ‘socialism.'”
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has received a complaint about Greene’s ad for the Super PAC, but it remains unclear if the often toothless FEC will make a case of the matter.
Whatever happens with the FEC, the ProPublica report is yet more evidence of why Marjorie Taylor Greene needs to be beaten in the 2022 midterm elections.
