Trick Websites Dupe Democrats Into Donating To Republicans

[appleannie1]

The National Republican Congressional Committee has set up a number of websites that look like they could be a Democratic candidate’s campaign page, unless you read the fine print. They may even violate a Federal Election Commission regulation, Campaign Legal Center expert Paul S. Ryan explained to ThinkProgress.
The NRCC has set up these pages for various congressional opponents, including Amanda Renteria (CA), Martha Roberston (NY), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ), Alex Sink (FL), and John Tierney (MA). Each follow a similar format; they list the candidate’s name “for Congress” to ask for donations:

According to Ryan, the websites appear to violate a Federal Election Commission regulation prohibiting political committees and parties from using a candidate’s name in special projects. The FEC considers websites, including microsites, a special project falling under this rule. The only exception is when the site makes it unambiguously clear it is opposed to the candidate. In Ryan’s opinion, the page set up under Tierney’s name “does not unambiguously show opposition to Tierney.” However, he noted, the FEC is “not a nimble organization” and it can take two years to complete an investigation, well past election day.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/02/03/3242381/republicans-trick-voters-donating-democratic-candidates/

[Gothmog]

1. Good News, NRCC is going to give back contributions

We need to get the news out that if you gave money to the RNCC due to this false ad, you can get your money back http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/03/republican-website-donations_n_4719196.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

The National Republican Congressional Committee is doubling down on its use of websites that appear to be in support of Democratic House candidates but actually direct money to the Republican campaign effort. However, the NRCC said it would give refunds to donors who were confused or misled and contributed to the organization inadvertently.

The lawyer in me believes that the RNCC is afraid being sued and so gave in quickly.

[Gothmog]

2. Juanita Jean is calling out the GOP for this deceptive tactic

http://www.juanitajean.com/2014/02/04/like-deception-is-anything-new-to-the-gop/

Okay, so the Republican Party is trying to fool people into donating to them when the people think they’re donating to Democrats.

Well, alert the damn media. It ain’t like trying to fool people is virgin territory for them. This ain’t no damn pilgrim experience for Republicans.

Republicans are defending a series of websites they established that appear to support Democratic candidates for Congress, but instead direct contributions to the GOP.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said its websites were not confusing, and accused Democrats of crying foul because their candidates were struggling.

They refused refunds until a donor went to the media about it and now they are all like …. oh, not us, we will be delighted to refund money.

However, headlines like this —


— can hardly be classified as “news.” It’s what they do in the normal course of business.

[archaic56]

4. ON The Media

ON the Media on NPR Has covered this a little bit. Last weeks show spoke of how the RETHUGS(as I affectionately call them) have 15 negative ads to one.I wonder how much this has undermined support we should have been giving to our POTUS> I do know this, if the Democrats want to beat them in NOvember (and I pray they do), then they best look into the dirty tricks the RETHUGS are pulling.I am speaking specifically of the money the REPUBLICAN p[arty gave FB. AS soon as the announcement was made of donations to Zuckerberg., Facebook turned into shill central.

They stopped grassroots movements in the seventies with dirty tricks.. Now they have tech.. Machiavelli would have been proud of todays Rethugs.

[captfoster5]

7. Shocking

The GOP cannot win playing fair ... its not much of a leap to hear about this happening.

[gopiscrap]

8. Welcome to DU