This article originally provided by The Charleston Gazette

September 25, 2006

End run

Vast political money

To prevent big-money interests from controlling elections, laws restrict the sum that individuals and political action committees can give to any candidate. In West Virginia races, the limit is $1,000 during the primary and another $1,000 in the general election. For Congress, it’s $2,100 in the primary and another $2,100 in the general.

But 527 groups, named for a clause in the U.S. Internal Revenue law, undermine these safeguards by letting the rich pour millions into federal campaigns. Anyone can spend any amount to help a candidate for Congress — so long as the donor promises to have no personal contact with the politician that the donor’s 527 committee is supporting, or the politician’s staff.

Today, 527 groups interested in federal elections can purchase an unlimited amount of television ads, buy an unlimited number of highway billboards, mail an unlimited number of letters, make an unlimited number of automated telephone calls, etc.

These groups typically operate in the shadows. The average citizen who reads or listens to their ads has little or no idea who pays for them.

And 527 ads tend to be negative, nasty and often untrue. The smear ads usually focus on wedge issues such as child molesting, pornography, abortions, drug use and gay marriage.

Typically, 527 groups begin their nasty assaults late in a campaign. That way, when the truth comes out, it is likely to be after the election.

The Economic Freedom Fund is a perfect example. Formed Aug. 1 by the general counsel to the California Republican Party, the group had already raised $5 million by Sept. 5.

The money came from just one person — Bob J. Perry, a Texas housing developer who gave $4.45 million to Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth in 2004 to run television ads smearing Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

This fall, the Economic Freedom Fund is targeting four candidates for U.S. House of Representatives: Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va., and three other Democrats in Iowa, Indiana and Georgia. People running the Economic Freedom Fund refuse to return phone calls from citizens and news reporters in all those states.

Last week, Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, denounced 527 groups while talking about the West Virginia campaign.

“I don’t like any 527s,” Reynolds told reporter Paul Nyden. “I don’t care whether they are campaigning for Republicans or Democrats. I didn’t even know they were down there. I appreciate the information.”

Rich bankrollers formerly were allowed to use 527s to pour their millions into West Virginia’s state-level campaigns — but during a special session in 2005 and this year’s regular session, the Legislature passed and modified a new law banning the odious practice. It restricts individual contributions to 527 groups to $1,000 for each primary and each general election — the same limit that applies to gifts made directly to candidates.

More states should follow West Virginia’s groundbreaking reform for local elections — and Congress should do likewise for federal races, to prevent a handful of wealthy activists from exercising such massive political power.