It's been a bad month for Our Revolution. I really feel sorry for whoever's working there.

[ehrnst]

First in late January,

Today, Common Cause filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging reason to believe that Our Revolution, a nonprofit political organization established by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2016 and now supporting his 2020 presidential campaign, violated the federal ‘soft money’ ban. Sen. Sanders has been a longtime critic of super PACs and so-called “Dark Money” groups. The complaint documents that Our Revolution has solicited contributions explicitly to elect Sanders president, received contributions far in excess of the applicable $5,000 contribution limit and spent funds in connection with federal elections, including current voter mobilization efforts supporting Sanders in Iowa.

Under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, an entity directly or indirectly established by a federal candidate or officeholder is not allowed to “solicit, receive, direct, transfer, or spend funds in connection with an election for Federal office” unless the “funds are subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements” of federal law.

According to Our Revolution’s tax returns showing contribution amounts but not contributor names, data compiled and first reported by the Associated Press, from 2016 to 2018 Our Revolution raised almost $1 million dollars from contributors who gave in excess of the applicable $5,000 contribution limit, including multiple contributions of between $100,000 and $300,000. Our Revolution has not disclosed any of its contributors to the FEC, as required by federal campaign finance law.

https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/01/22/common-cause-files-complaint-against-pro-bernie-sanders-group-our-revolution

And then today:

WASHINGTON — A political advocacy group founded by Bernie Sanders entered into a nondisclosure agreement with an African American political consultant that bars her from discussing a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination at the organization and the Vermont senator's 2016 presidential campaign.
..............................................

The deal is tied to a 2019 lawsuit in which Figaro said she was fired from the Sanders-created political group Our Revolution a year earlier due to her race and in “retaliation for complaining about the organization’s treatment towards her and African-Americans.” The lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money. Though the lawsuit was aimed at Our Revolution, it included broad criticism of Sanders' campaign, arguing an all-white leadership staff “was accused of racism” by black staffers and failed to engage black voters.
....................................................
She was brought on by former Our Revolution President Nina Turner, a top Sanders surrogate who is now national co-chair of his 2020 campaign. When Turner tried to make Figaro Our Revolution’s chief of staff, board members objected.

Past comments Figaro made about immigration on Twitter and as a pundit on Fox News quickly surfaced and drew rebuke, with critics and some Our Revolution staffers saying that they were anti-immigrant..

Figaro, who had long worked as a consultant to Turner, publicly apologized but was fired. Our Revolution was aware of her past comments when she was hired, according to her lawsuit. Turner didn’t respond to a request for comment.

In the past, Figaro defended herself by noting that her comments echoed what Sanders has previously said.

“If poverty is increasing and if wages are going down, I don’t know why we need millions of people to be coming into this country as guest workers who will work for lower wages than American workers and drive wages down even lower than they are now,” Sanders said in a 2007 television interview explaining why he opposed a bipartisan immigration bill.

https://apnews.com/c5201196cdc5897e76e49a3352a2c8dd

[Gothmog]

1. Our Revolution has a poor track record

Link to tweet

[ehrnst]

2. And now this. How many other settlements do we not know about? (nt)

[sheshe2]

7. It will all come out. nt

[ehrnst]

9. And will be called "HATRED" when it does. (nt)

[sheshe2]

10. Yes. nt

[mcar]

34. You know it will

[MontanaMama]

39. Why is it that any

criticism, observation or question about him or his organization is construed as hate? I find it baffling.

[Lucky Luciano]

3. Generally, endorsing long shots will lose more often than win.

Did they outperform expectations based on endorsing long shots?

[ehrnst]

6. From what I have heard, no. Endorsing based on fealty isn't really a good metric - or strategy.

See also: Cenk Uyghur.

[Lucky Luciano]

18. If the probability of your endorsements winning are 10%,

...but 20% win, then you did well. Period. That may or may not be the case here. No idea.

[ehrnst]

19. Here is some analysis.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/08/bernie-sanders-endorsements-2018-elections-767403

[reACTIONary]

51. And if the probability before was 30%...

... and only 20% win....

The problem, as you note, is knowing what the "before" probability is. No one has any idea.

[NurseJackie]

23. Well, in fairness... Cenk Uygur had a double-whammy working against him.

Well, in fairness... Cenk Uygur had a double-whammy working against him. I mean... who wants to vote for a guy who thinks that bestiality (sexual animal abuse) is a-okay as long as the animal being sexually abused is sexually gratified. (Look, he said it, not me... I'm just the messenger!) Personally I think it's horrific and vomit inducing. Just the sight of him makes me ill.

[NurseJackie]

52. It's not a very pragmatic way for anyone to neuter the GOP.

Mature and reasonable people understand that the "best" and "perfect" candidate isn't the one who's likely to win or defeat (or fend off) the GOP candidate. Take West Virginia for instance... the "Our Revolution" group just despises Joe Manchin and does their level best to see that he's crippled by a "perfect" challenger (who has ZERO chance of winning in West Virginia). Yet, Our Revolution is so proud of their efforts... apparently a "pure" loss is better (in their view) than having an imperfect DEMOCRAT in the Senate. Even if Manchin votes 100% of the time with the GOP (which he doesn't) his presence helps us get one seat closer to having a majority. "Our Revolution" fails to be pragmatic and strategic. In my opinion they do more harm than good.

[George II]

15. Their endorsements have done so poorly in the past that they've removed that page from their website

[ehrnst]

22. Get. Out. (nt)

[George II]

29. Yes, they now only list their 2020 endorsements.

[ehrnst]

49. That's a wise marketing decision. (nt)

[NurseJackie]

65. How humiliating for them... truly pathetic.

[Squinch]

54. OMG! That list!

[ehrnst]

61. Yep. That's gotta sting. (nt)

[Gothmog]

64. I am amused by this list

[Gothmog]

72. Here is another Our Revolution candidate who did not succeed

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

4. K&R

[Peacetrain]

5. RUH ROH!

[sheshe2]

8. ...

[ehrnst]

11. .....

[sheshe2]

24. ;)

[George II]

30. LOVE that song, thanks!

[sheshe2]

35. You are welcome, George.

[George II]

37. We're showing our age, eh?

[sheshe2]

41. Perhaps

[George II]

12. Is that an NDA I see in that second article? Don't tell Senator Warren! BTW....

...that NDA was signed just weeks after Nina Turner resigned as head of Our Revolution. I'm sure she was deeply involved in the negotiations and final settlement terms.

I also see that Ms. Figaro's complaint included some aspects of the 2016 campaign. Previously the complaints centered around sexual harassment and abuse. Racial discrimination adds another dimension to the peccadillos of the campaign.

[ehrnst]

17. I know, right? She was brought on board by Nina...

This has got to be a real embarrassment for her.

[mcar]

36. Why yes, it is

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287595564

[Me.]

13. Not So Pure Purity

KR

[ehrnst]

16. Can you imagine what it's like to answer phones there right now?

Especially calls from those who donated, and are on fixed incomes?

Like those who realized that the pennies donated to the Sanders campaign went to payouts for harassment settlements?

Bernie Sanders apologizes, says he didn’t know about $30,000 settlement of 2016 campaign staffer accused of sexual harassment

[sheshe2]

26. your link...when asked

“I was a little bit busy running around the country trying to make the case,” Sanders said.

[ehrnst]

27. "I didn't know!"

Again....

[Hermit-The-Prog]

44. Too busy to be presidenting, then.

OT: Verbing weirds language, but I couldn't resist.

[sheshe2]

45. Works for me.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

46. If he can't keep track of his staff now, how in hell will he handle a full cabinet?

[ehrnst]

62. If the exodus of half the founding staff or Our Revolution is any indication...

[Hermit-The-Prog]

63. ... another revolving door administration.

[Cha]

14. Mahalo!!!

[NurseJackie]

20. Figures. I always thought Our Revolution was crooked anyway.

[ehrnst]

25. I think the ones who were really interested in revolution were the half that left:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/25/fleeing-the-bern-half-of-staff-quit-sanders-legacy-project-before-it-begins

[awesomerwb1]

21. Shocked I tells ya

absolutely shocked!!

[still_one]

28. Phony hypocrites

[NurseJackie]

31. I wonder if anyone will have to go to jail over this.

[still_one]

38. Good question, but I doubt it

[mcar]

33. Kick

[highplainsdem]

40. K&R

[rzemanfl]

42. Bookmarking. n/t

[McKim]

43. Alert the NY Times

Alert The NY Times, this needs to be spread.

[ehrnst]

48. They're already on it.

Cue the 'corporate owned media' posts.

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/02/28/us/politics/ap-us-election-2020-sanders-nda.html

[Cha]

47. Kick!

[ehrnst]

53. I love that song!

Thanks for sharing.

Not sure what it has to do with the OP or the recent news about Our Revolution, tho.

[lapucelle]

57. Many have lived it for 50+ years.

I also remember Bill Clinton frequently using "A rising tide lifts all boats" in his speeches.

[NCProgressive]

55. This is disgusting and hypocritical since Sanders criticized Bloomberg's NDAs

[NYMinute]

56. I guess the revolution revolved out of control

and centrifugal force took over

[George II]

58. Attn OR employees!

[lapucelle]

59. BS was silent about knowing that the Russians were working to help his campaign,

and he was silent about his organization's own NDA while he watched E Warren take Bloomberg to task over the same thing at this week's debate.

Is there anything else we should know?

[NurseJackie]

66. I'll bet it could fill a book.

[ehrnst]

69. That could be sold on Amazon and at WalMart.

[NurseJackie]

70. LOL!

[R B Garr]

71. Exactly!

[betsuni]

60. kick

[NurseJackie]

67. Will former/current employees will bother to list Our Revolution on their CV or resume?

[ehrnst]

68. Indeed. (nt)