FEC should investigate Georgia groups for violating campaign finance law

The Federal Election Commission should investigate Georgians for Strong Families, Inc. (GFSF PAC), and Georgians for Strong Families Action, Inc. (GFSFA) for allegedly violating the Federal Election Campaign Act, according to a complaint filed by CREW. The complaint alleges that the groups, their respective treasurers and unknown donors violated the law by hiding the true sources of their political contributions during the 2022 primary cycle in Georgia. 

GFSF PAC and GFSFA were created by the same person during a two-week period in January 2022. GFSF PAC later received a total of $160,000 from one source: GFSFA. Within four days of receiving that donation, GFSF PAC spent $150,000 to air ads to influence the Republican primary in Georgia’s 14th congressional district, opposing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Because GFSFA operates as a section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, it was not legally required to disclose its donors, so the source of the $160,000 it contributed to GFSF PAC remains unknown. GFSF PAC shuttered after the 2022 election cycle. 

CREW’s complaint alleges that, because the majority of GFSFA’s spending in 2022 went to super PACs–including GFSF PAC–the non-profit itself qualified as a political committee. But, by failing to register as a political committee and submit the mandatory reports to the FEC, its actions violated FECA. FECA requires any organization making over $1,000 in political contributions to other political committees in one year to register as a “political committee” with the FEC and disclose its donors, which GFSFA did not do.

Americans have the right to be informed about who is spending to influence elections. When outside groups hide information about how they are funded and dodge reporting requirements, they must be held accountable. The FEC must investigate GFSFA and GFSF PAC and their treasurers and ensure that Americans get the information they deserve.