In November 2014, Dean Corren was the Progressive Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor. He was also nominated by the Democratic Party, and he received 36.1% of the general election vote. Now the Attorney General, William Sorrell, has sued Corren, saying that an e-mail sent by the Vermont Democratic Party to its list of supporters, inviting recipients to attend a rally featuring U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Governor Peter Shumlin, and Corren, constitutes an illegal campaign contribution to Corren. Shumlin and Sorrell are both Democrats.
The Attorney General wants Corren to repay $52,000 that he received in public funding, plus a fine of $20,000. Corren already spent the public funding he received on his campaign.
On March 20, Corren sued the Attorney General in federal court, arguing that the repayment order is disproportionate, and alternatively that the Democratic Party’s e-mail is not a campaign contribution. The federal case is Corren v Sorrell, 2:15cv-58. Thanks to the Center for Competitive Elections for this news. The case is assigned to Judge William K. Sessions, a Clinton appointee. Here is the complaint.
To suggest that an e-mailing list is the same thing as a financial contribution, is as about as asinine as it gets. First of all, the list is nothing but a listing of names. There is no guarantee the people listed on the list will give any financial support to the candidate.
This is another of many reasons why we need a genuine Independent Party, that exists solely to help people – not destroy your political foes.
Admittedly, I don’t know how the campaign laws in Vermont read. If it means that any funds raised from such e-mail list, MUST then be reported and/or returned, perhaps there is a violation of the Campaign Finance Law. As I have illustrated in other e-mails, I believe all candidates should be funded by the public, and all private funding prohibited, with stiff prison terms for those violating such.
So, I’ll just leave it there until I learn more of what law was broken and how it was broken. But again, only public financing will take the crookedness out of our political process, and produce leaders who have no agenda other than to serve the people they were elected to serve.
It’s very interesting that this is coming at a time when the VPP is being more critical in the press of Shumlin and the Democrats than any other time I’ve seen. Im not from Vermont, but looking from afar it looks very suspicious…
What did the whole e-mail message say? The portion quoted in the complaint reads:
“Come to a Rally! This weekend we are joining Senator Bernie Sanders, Governor Peter Shumlin, Dean, and local candidates for GOTV rallies across the state. Come to the one nearest you.”
It seems odd that it would refer to one candidate, and one candidate only, by his first name.
The $52,000 is the amount of unexpended funds at the time of the violation. Apparently, Vermont cuts you off cold-turkey.
The state Democratic Party has agreed to a $10,000 for their part in the e-mail blast. They also agreed to cooperate with the Attorney General in his investigation of Curren. One news story indicated that Curren had suggested changing the wording of the e-mail before it was sent out. And since he did attend one of the rallies, it appears that it was a coordinated effort.
Hmmm.
Did the VT Donkeys get a COMMAND Order from Donkey HQ in Devil City to wipe out the VT Progs ???