DeVos Family Launches Fake Democratic Super PAC to Attack Gretchen Whitmer

[cutroot]

Last edited Thu Jul 5, 2018, 07:38 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: https://medium.com/%40gretchenwhitmer_12225/devos-

LANSING — A group of Lansing Republicans with close ties to the DeVos family have launched a fake Democratic Super PAC called “Priorities for Michigan” to attack former Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer in a new series of online ads.

The new dark money group shares a mailing address with the Republican organization “A League of Their Own,” whose website lists former Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger and DeVos family political operative Tony Daunt as “coaches.”

“This is a new low, even for the slimy DeVos family,” said Zack Pohl, Communications Director for the Whitmer campaign. “Republican billionaires like the Koch brothers and Betsy DeVos must really be scared by Gretchen Whitmer to create a fake Democratic super PAC to smear her record with progressive voters. Here’s the truth, as Senate Democratic Leader, Gretchen brought Republicans and Democrats together to expand Medicaid and cover 680,000 more Michiganders, and because of her work, the minimum wage just went up for the fourth year in a row. As governor, Gretchen will focus on getting things done that will actually make a difference in people’s lives right now, like fixing the roads, expanding access to affordable health care and repealing the Snyder Retirement Tax. That’s the kind of progressive leadership we need in Lansing to build a better Michigan for everyone.”

Read more: https://medium.com/%40gretchenwhitmer_12225/devos-family-launches-fake-democratic-super-pac-to-attack-gretchen-whitmer-ac06f3e8986c

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These people have no bottom. I keep telling myself that the end will come to them eventually.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. That should be illegal and the state party (and DNC) should sue. nt

[BigmanPigman]

2. Can they do that?

[mpcamb]

3. Anybody can sue anybody.

Making it stick is another issue.

[mpcamb]

4. I agree tho, that it deserves a test case. How much public lying/fraud/election malfeasance

do we have to endure till the courts say enough is enough?

[BumRushDaShow]

20. If the PAC is blatantly advertising itself as something that was created by/associated with the DNC

or any of the state/local Democratic Party offices, then they could sue for all kinds of things.

See this from the FEC (PDF file) - Memo just issued February 2018 - https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/Commissioner_Lee_E._Goodman_Policy_Statement_-_Fraudulent_Misrepresentation.pdf

I.e., the "Fraudulent Misrepresentation Doctrine" and the memo cites the code violations. Here is info on some of that code (specifically section (b) )-

(a) In general No person who is a candidate for Federal office or an employee or agent of such a candidate shall—

(1) fraudulently misrepresent himself or any committee or organization under his control as speaking or writing or otherwise acting for or on behalf of any other candidate or political party or employee or agent thereof on a matter which is damaging to such other candidate or political party or employee or agent thereof; or
(2) willfully and knowingly participate in or conspire to participate in any plan, scheme, or design to violate paragraph (1).

(b) Fraudulent solicitation of funds No person shall—

(1) fraudulently misrepresent the person as speaking, writing, or otherwise acting for or on behalf of any candidate or political party or employee or agent thereof for the purpose of soliciting contributions or donations; or
(2) willfully and knowingly participate in or conspire to participate in any plan, scheme, or design to violate paragraph (1).

(Pub. L. 92–225, title III, § 322, formerly § 327, as added Pub. L. 94–283, title I, § 112(2), May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 494; renumbered § 322, Pub. L. 96–187, title I, § 105(5), Jan. 8, 1980, 93 Stat. 1354; amended Pub. L. 107–155, title III, § 309, Mar. 27, 2002, 116 Stat. 104.)

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30124

[TheRealNorth]

5. This is the type of sneaky shit

Democrats have been dealing with in WI and MI since Citizens United. I am now seeing it in MN too.

[Still In Wisconsin]

7. Yeah, and Iowa too I am told.

We (Wisconsin) were the beta test for these tactics. Now, they're trying to turn the whole upper Midwest into Kansas and are employing this stuff because it worked well for them here. No offense intended to Kansans.

[Still In Wisconsin]

6. It's totally legal (but slimy as hell)- Repubs did something very similar in Wisconsin.

Back when Walker and the Republican State Legislators in Wisconsin were facing recalls, the Republicans (backed by Koch money) tried something very similar. They ran fake Democrats and set up fake campaigns to run against and smear the actual Democratic candidates. It was slimy, it sucked, but it stood up to the legal challenges that were brought forth at that time.

This looks like it comes from the same exact playbook.

[SergeStorms]

8. With yet another right-wing, fascist protecting SC Judge....

on the horizon we can expect garbage like this, and much worse, for another generation in the U.S.

I never understand why Obama didn't make a recess appointment of Merrick Garland.

[red dog 1]

11. "The Real Reason President Obama Won't Recess Appoint Merrick Garland"

Washington Post
December 29, 2016

Google:
"The real reason President Obama won't recess-appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court"

[SergeStorms]

27. The Constitution....

has never stood in the way of Republicans getting what they want. They don't care what the law says, they do any damned underhanded thing they want. It would have been worth a try since he was losing the pick he was entitled to anyway.

We have to start playing as nasty as those bastards or we're never going to win anything again.

[cutroot]

9. This is the creep she will be running against

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has loaded his taxpayer-funded office payroll with Republican campaign activists in the run-up to his 2018 campaign for governor, a Free Press investigation has found.

Schuette also has used no-bid state contracts to pay more than $130,000 to two influential Republicans — one of whom has been active in the tea party movement that is important in winning a Republican primary, records show.

The state constitution and civil service rules prohibit hiring or firing employees based on partisan considerations, enshrining the idea that a professional state workforce based solely on merit should remain in place, regardless of what party or leader is in power.

But this year, in advance of his September announcement that he is running for governor, Schuette hired as civil servants four "constituent relations representatives," also known as "executive office representatives," who are all Republican activists or experienced GOP campaign operatives, records obtained under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act show.

[llmart]

22. Schuette's another crook.

The MI GOP must really be scared of Gretchen Whitmer. I guarantee you she'll win the DEM primary, so the GOP is getting a headstart on trashing her.

I hope Schuette goes down in flames. After the Flint crisis where his buddy Snyder's name was dirt, he decided he would distance himself from Snyder. Our memories aren't that short.

[cutroot]

23. Even though Granholm has been gone for ten years,

They are still running ads against her.

[Racerdog1]

10. SCAMWAY

Lowlife Devos and Prince families, tRumpsucking scum.

[safeinOhio]

25. Use to see bumper stickers in Michigan that said...

Amway is not my way.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Dirty tricks. RepubliCONs can't win fairly so they try to win fraudulently. . . . nt

Last edited Thu Jul 5, 2018, 08:12 PM - Edit history (1)

(on edit: fixed typo in title)

[LiberalFighter]

13. There needs to be a way to stop this.

[red dog 1]

14. Kick for exposure!

These evil bastards must be stopped, and it has to come on November 6th of this year!

I wonder why Democratic leaders in Congress, plus the DCCC and the DSCC won't turn to people like Howard Dean and Bernie Sanders to help "get out the vote" this November.
Howard Dean and Bernie Sanders both know how to use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, plus they both are well-liked by 18-35 year-olds, which is the age range of voters that was missing in HRC's presidential campaign.
(The millennials love Bernie...We NEED them!...We need their energy for the coming mid-terms)

[Wwcd]

28. Omg. Well The DCCC IS doing exactly what you say they aren't.

They have been all along.

Stop making such divisive false accusations.

Here's a good place to get to know what DCCC is doing.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10832133

[tiredtoo]

15. cannot find link, want to share. Eom

[cutroot]

17. i just tried the link. It was still working

https://medium.com/

[Eugene]

18. You need to link to the actual article. DU has a problem with the at-sign in the URL.

A work-around available at https://medium.com/%40gretchenwhitmer_12225/devos-family-launches-fake-democratic-super-pac-to-attack-gretchen-whitmer-ac06f3e8986c but it may ask for a login.

[cutroot]

19. Thank you I will attempt to edit the post

[Honeycombe8]

21. Isn't that fraud? nt

[safeinOhio]

26. Fake PAC by

Fake Christians.

[Mc Mike]

24. All those bircher freaks should be imprisoned. rec, Nt