Marjorie Taylor Greene found herself in legal hot waters, facing a federal penalty for illegal fundraising after her call for people to “donate now.”
Did Greene Cross the Line?
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, has agreed to pay a $12,000 penalty for breaking federal election laws.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) documents uncovered that in December 2020, Greene breached the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by improperly sharing an advertisement from the Stop Socialism Now PAC on her Facebook and Twitter campaign accounts.
Legal Hot Water
The FEC investigation indicates that Greene’s infraction involved violating funds for a group not bound by the strict donation limits that apply to federal candidates, which sets a $5,000 ceiling on donations to candidates.
This violation occurred in the context of supporting Republican candidates for Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff in early 2021.
Stop Socialism Now
“Imagine. Biden and Harris in the White House. Pelosi is Speaker. And Schumer runs the Senate,” Greene said.
“All because Georgia lost our two Senate runoff seats to Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock… Stop Socialism Now PAC will stop Ossoff and Warnock from stealing our Senate seats. It’s time to fight back now before it’s too late.”
Fighting Against Democrats
The advertisement then transitioned to a screen displaying text featuring a link to a donations page. It urged viewers to “[r]ush [their] emergency donation of $5,000, $2,500, $1,000, $500, $100, $50, or even as little as $10 right away,” emphasizing the need to “re-elect Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and KEEP GEORGIA RED!”
What the Ad Showed
The advertisement, first posted by Stop Socialism Now on its Facebook page in early December 2020, was shared on Greene’s official Facebook page five days later. Greene continued to promote the ad later in the month by reposting it from the super PAC.
Accusations of “Soft Money” Solicitation
Common Cause, a D.C. watchdog group with a mission to “ensure that every vote counts” and “every eligible voter has an equal say,” submitted a complaint in May 2021 accusing Greene of breaching the“soft money” ban in the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 by “soliciting unlimited contributions.”
Fundraising Approach Questioned
Watchdog group stressed that federal law bars candidates from soliciting election funds unless they fall under the FECA’s regulations. They further alleged Greene was only allowed to ask for a maximum of $5,000 from an individual donor for the super PAC, with no corporate or union contributions permitted.
Greene’s Team Responded
Greene’s legal team, consisting of Derek H. Ross and Scott Gast, contended that Greene did not breach federal election laws through her solicitation for the super PAC. They presented their case to the FEC, comparing the ad to a scenario where a candidate attends a PAC fundraiser, offers general support, and departs before any fundraising solicitation occurs.
Unconvinced
Despite this argument, the FEC’s six members’ bipartisan commission seemed unconvinced, voting 5-1 to finalize a $12,000 fine against Greene. The only opposing vote came from Trey Trainor, a Republican Commissioner, and a former Trump nominee and campaign lawyer.
The “Donate Now” Directive
The general counsel for the FEC argued that Greene’s role in Stop Socialism Now in the digital ad was a violation, pointing out that the ad included a directive for viewers to “donate now” along with a payment processing link.
History of Fines and Rule Violations
This isn’t the first brush with FEC violations for the Stop Socialism Now PAC. In July 2022, the FEC identified various mistakes in the PAC’s financial report, notably an improper $5,000 contribution to J.R. Majewski, a former Republican candidate for the U.S. House. The FEC contended that this donation made post-primary election breaches federal election guidelines.
More from 2022
In a 2022 interview with Newsmax, Greene admitted to accumulating nearly $90,000 in fines for defying pandemic-era U.S. House rules mandating mask-wearing on the House floor.
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