The Campaign for Accountability (CfA), a non-profit watchdog group, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission requesting an immediate investigation and enforcement action against Minnesota Representative Dean Phillip’s campaign committee.
The complaint was filed against Dean 24, Inc., its supporting Super PAC, Pass the Torch USA Inc., and veteran campaign strategist Steve Schmidt for violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and Commission regulations.
They allege that there is evidence to suggest Schmidt’s self-professed "involvement in the development of Phillip’s campaign strategy."
They say just weeks before he formed the Pass the Torch PAC, he and the PAC made $450,000 in coordinated communications with the campaign, which the PAC falsely reported as independent expenditures and the campaign failed to disclose as in-kind contributions.
“Candidates and their committees cannot coordinate strategy with super PACs. When the architect of the Phillip’s campaign suddenly moves over to lead a super PAC supporting Phillip’s candidacy the moment the ink on the blueprint is dry, the coordination is clear,” said Michelle Kuppersmith, Campaign for Accountability executive director.
The Phillips campaign calls the complaint baseless.
Phillips is currently mounting a rare bid against sitting President Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination. Talking to Chad Hartman on WCCO Radio Wednesday (prior to the complaint), Phillips said the Democratic Party was out to get him and "bleed my campaign to death."
"But what the Democratic Party doesn't want you to know is that there is a massive write in campaign for Joe Biden right now," Phillips claims. "There's a Super PAC trying to promote his candidacy as a write-in. And then there's another super PAC set up to get Democratic-leaning independents in New Hampshire to vote for (Republican) Nikki Haley."