Watchdog Groups Call For Appointment of A Special Prosecutor to Investigate the Use of Secret Money to Influence Elections

Comparisons To Watergate Scandal Grows

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, several watchdog groups, led by Protect Our Elections, dedicated to clean and  transparent elections sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder  requesting the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the improper use of tax exempt provisions to raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars to influence the 2010 midterm elections.  The letter, written by Kevin Zeese, the groups' attorney and spokesman, states that groups such as  American Crossroads, American Future Fund, the Chamber of Commerce and others are violating tax law, campaign finance law and criminal law by creating tax exempt organizations to engage in partisan political activity without restriction or accountability.

The letter can be found at http://www.velvetrevolution.us/images/Holder_Special_Prosecutor_Letter.pdf.

The groups note that comparisons to  Watergate have gotten louder in recent days as news of abuses and excesses  have been breaking on a daily basis.  DNC Chair Tim Kaine has called  this the "biggest scandal since Watergate."  The New York Times has called this "the most secretive election since Watergate."

"We are  facing a crisis in democracy not seen since the days of Watergate, when satchels of secret money from Texas oil men were used to corrupt the 1972  election campaign," said Mr. Zeese. "And now, 40 years later, we are seeing  vast sums of secret money being used to subvert our elections, most of it from  a select group of billionaire and millionaire corporate donors who want to buy  politicians who will vote in favor of deregulation and the dismantling of the  federal government.  And they are doing this by misusing the tax exempt  provisions tax code, creating 501c4 public welfare and 501c6 trade association  organizations to hide their donors, while acting as political action  committees.  The President and others have called this a 'threat to  democracy.' Because this is so, we call on the Attorney General to appoint a special  prosecutor to 'follow the money' and hold accountable those who have  violated the law. The most effective way to face down the plutocrats and oligarchs is for the Department of Justice  to remind them that the rule of law applies equally in our country and that  our elections and our votes are not for sale."

SOURCE Protect Our Elections

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