A government watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich following a report that his campaign paid Gingrich $42,000 for the use of his personal mailing list without disclosing it in their campaign finance filings. They also asked the FEC to investigation whether Gingrich Productions, Inc. held campaign events in conjunction with his book signings.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said in a complaint that they believe that Gingrich Productions Inc. violated the law “by using corporate funds to pay for a portion of the expenses of dual purpse events promoting the candidacy of Newt Gingrich while also promoting the sale of books by Newt Gingrich and by collecting the email addresses of people attending the dual purpose events for the purpose of soliciting contributions.”
Gingrich, CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said in a statement, “will do anything to make a buck, even sell his own mailing list to his campaign. He has a long history of playing fast and loose with ethics rules so it should surprise no one to learn he is at it again.”
Late update: Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond responds: “If the FEC considers the complaint, they will find that the rules are being followed and published regulations are being enforced.”
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
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