Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/554144
ByJulieBykowicz The Associated Press WASHINGTON HillaryClin- ton told a cheering crowd at her largest rally so far that "the endless flow of se- cret, unaccountable money" must be stopped. Two weeks later, the main su- per PAC backing her bid for the Democratic presiden- tial nomination accepted a $1 million contribution that cannot be traced. The seven-figure dona- tion, made June 29 to the pro-Clinton Priorities USA Action, came from another super political action com- mittee, called Fair Share Action. Its two lone con- tributors are Fair Share Inc. and Environment America Inc., according to records filed with Federal Election Commission. Those two groups are nonprofits that are not le- gally required to reveal in- formation about their do- nors. Such contributions are sometimes called "dark money" by advocates for stricter campaign finance rules. 'Laundering' "This appears to be an out-and-out laundering op- eration designed to keep secret from the public the original source of the funds given to the super PAC, which is required to disclose its contributors," said Fred Wertheimer, director of one such group, the Washing- ton-based Democracy 21. Wertheimer urged Pri- orities to return the money and said that Clinton should demand that the super PAC "publicly disclose all of the original sources of money" of any contribution it re- ceives. It's a suggestion rejected by Priorities USA, whose spokesman, Peter Kauff- mann, said the group is "playing by the rules." "In the face of a billion dollar onslaught by right wing groups, there is too much at stake for everyday Americans for Democratic groups to unilaterally dis- arm," he said. Priorities USA raised about $15.6 mil- lion in the first six months of the year. While another Demo- cratic competitor, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, has rejected the support of su- per PACs altogether, Clin- ton has been plain that she needs big-money help. "We're going to have to do what we can in this elec- tion to make sure that we're not swamped by money on the other side," she said last month. Several of the Republi- can candidates for presi- dent also have nonprofits dedicated to helping their candidacies. Conservative Solutions Project, a group paying for ads that boost Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, says it raised about $16 million through June. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also has such a group, called Right to Rise Policy Solutions. The law does not require these nonprofits to disclose their donors, but they are limited in how much they can directly advocate for a candidate. Super PACs have much more latitude in their politi- cal activities. As a trade-off, they must report their do- nors to the FEC. But as is the case with June's $1 million donation to Priorities USA Action, sometimes the named do- nors are nonprofits that collect money from anony- mous sources. Other times, donors to super PACs are limited liability corpora- tions or trusts that are dif- ficult if not impossible to trace. Cruz super PAC A prime example is Stand for Principle, a super PAC helping Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Almost all of the $250,500 the super PAC raised in the first six months of the year came from "V3 231 LLC," a corporation made up of three other LLCs, according to federal court records reviewed by The As- sociated Press. Identifying the people behind an LLC can take weeks or months of inten- sive investigation, because corporate registration re- cords typically identify only a street address and contact for a registered agent, usu- ally a lawyer. Clinton's allies have taken over Priorities USA, a super PAC that was set up in 2011 to help Presi- dent Barack Obama win re-election. It's now led by Guy Cecil, a veteran of Clin- ton's 2008 presidential cam- paign, and her longtime ad- vocates Harold Ickes and David Brock are among its board members. Tax and campaign fi- nance records show Fair Share Inc. and Environ- ment America Inc. — the nonprofit donors behind the $1 million Priorities USA contribution — did not give to Priorities USA in the Obama era. Fair Share advocates for job creation, and Environment America works on issues such as cli- mate change. Both have ex- isted since at least 2007. Contributions flow to both of those nonprofits thanks in part to the De- mocracy Alliance, a left- leaning donor network that meets privately twice a year. Brock attends most of those gatherings. David Elliot, a spokes- man for the nonprofit Fair Share, said the group raises its money primarily from small donors online. Eliza- beth Ouzts, a spokeswoman for Environment America, described that nonprof- it's funding as being from "itty, bitty donors," and not big check-writers or corpo- rations. But because neither group is required to dis- close its donors to federal regulators, as required of a campaign or super PAC, those statements are impos- sible to verify. 'DARK MONEY' Group backing Hillary Clinton gets $1 million from anonymous donors JIMCOLE—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives at the high school in Exeter, N.H., on Monday. JOHN MINCHILLO — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to the media a er the first Republican presidential debate at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. By Jill Colvin The Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. Donald Trump's position on health care? Repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act "with something terrific." On what do with the estimated 11 million im- migrants currently living in the country illegally? "We're going to have plenty of time to talk about it," he told reporters during a re- cent trip to the U.S. border with Mexico. His plan to increase job growth? "You'll see de- tails. But basically I'm tell- ing you I'll just bring them back. It's called negotia- tion," he said. As Trump pushes ahead with an establishment- bucking campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, the real estate developer and former real- ity TV star's decidedly un- conventional approach to politics includes forgoing — so far — any substantive discussion of public policy. It's one way, among many, that Trump stands out in the 2016 race. Identifying problems and presenting preferred solutions is usually stan- dard operating procedure for candidates for office at any level, perhaps none more so than president. Developing policy is a key role of campaign staff, and the resulting work is touted in speeches and rollouts designed to win headlines and voters alike. Most of the other candi- dates for president in 2016 have records of public ser- vice, having cast votes as lawmakers or executed policy as governors. Those who lack such time in of- fice, such as retired neuro- surgeon Ben Carson, have still staked out clear posi- tions on issues that include health care and managing the economy. Trump's campaign web- site, meanwhile, provides a detailed account of his many real estate holdings and successful television show, but has no mention what he would seek to ac- complish if elected presi- dent. Trump on Monday crit- icized moderators of the first Republican primary debate for failing to quiz him on policy during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," but swiftly declined to answer ques- tion about passing and en- forcing equal pay and ac- cess to capital for women. 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