ISSUE
In 2018, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee violated federal law by misreporting payments tied to the now-debunked Steele Dossier.
What they labeled as “legal advice and services” was really a Democratic machine that conspired with foreigners to manipulate the election—and our team of legal experts knew it. They recognized Clinton and the DNC’s illegal attempt to route campaign money through a law firm to Fusion GPS—the firm behind the discredited dossier on then-candidate Donald Trump.
Compiled from lies, innuendo, and fabrications from foreign nationals, the dossier itself was a vehicle through which current and former agents of the Russian government were able to attempt to undermine Donald Trump’s candidacy.
ACTION
The Foundation petitioned the FEC to investigate and enforce the law, demanding transparency and accountability in campaign finance. This was one of several actions by the Foundation to ensure political elites play by the same rules as everyone else.
OUTCOME
After reviewing our complaint, the FEC fined Hillary for America and the Democratic National Committee $113,000. The fines confirmed what the Coolidge Reagan Foundation argued all along: these misreported payments were a violation of the law.
This case wasn’t about one campaign, rather it was about defending the integrity of our elections. Our persistence helped expose how Democrats financed foreign-influenced misinformation, and in the end, they were held accountable.
