Aristotle Promotes Freer Use of Internet by Political Committees

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aristotle Senior Vice President David Mason today submitted comments to the Federal Election Commission on Draft Advisory Opinion 2011-18 (Western Representation PAC), arguing that the Commission should not impose onerous 24- and 48-hour reporting requirements on political committee e-mails or Web pages supporting particular candidates.

In two draft responses to a request from the PAC, the FEC is proposing to require that the PAC file separate reports on e-mail supporting or opposing candidates in addition to the periodic reports of all financial activity that the PAC is already required to file.

Mason, a former FEC Chairman and Commissioner, pointed out in his comments that the Commission had failed to address the effect of rules changes and judicial decisions on the decade-old Advisory Opinion relied on in the draft response as the basis for imposing extra reporting requirements. Mason suggested that the Commission's decisions to exclude most e-mail and Internet activity from disclaimer requirements and other rules justified a more relaxed approach to the Western Representation request.

Mason also pointed out that under the draft responses, independent activity by the PAC would be regulated more extensively than activities in cooperation with candidates, a result inconsistent with the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

A link to Mason's comments is:  http://content.aristotle.com/Aristotle/FEC-AOCommmentLetter.pdf

About Aristotle

Aristotle is recognized as a global pioneer in political technology, providing indispensable tools to those who seek to use the democratic process to influence decisions at the ballot box. For more than 25 years, every occupant of the White House — Democrat and Republican — has been an Aristotle customer, as are many U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as Democratic and Republican state party organizations. For information about the company, go to www.aristotle.com.

About David Mason (interviews available)

The Honorable David M. Mason is Senior Vice President for Compliance Services at Aristotle International. He assists campaigns, PACs, and political parties in maximizing their effectiveness while complying with federal and state regulatory requirements.  He served as Commissioner and Chairman (2002 and 2008) of the Federal Election Commission from 1998 until 2008, a Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed position.  The Commission administers public funds for Presidential candidates and regulates the financing of Federal political activity, national political parties, and House and Senate campaigns. 

Media Contact:
Brandi Travis, (202) 903-4221

SOURCE Aristotle

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