Complaint alleges pro-Hogan super PAC violated campaign finance law

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Larry Hogan and the super political action committee that is funding a massive ad campaign to help him are facing a lawsuit over poor coordination.

A Montgomery County voter filed a complaint with federal elections officials Tuesday, alleging that deep-pocketed super PAC Maryland’s Future violated the law by placing a prominent “donate” button on its web page that leads directly to a fundraising page for Hogan’s campaign committee.

Under federal regulations, corporations – in this case the PAC – cannot use their resources to facilitate donations to candidate committees, and similarly, candidates cannot knowingly accept money that has been inappropriately solicited, the complaint alleges.

The complaint was filed by Danielle Veith, a Montgomery County resident and registered Democrat, who wrote in the complaint that “this is not a minor technical violation.” She declined an interview request.

The complaint names Maryland’s Future, the Hogan for Maryland Campaign Committee and Hogan as an individual.

Veith’s complaint asks the Federal Election Commission to investigate whether Maryland’s Future improperly used company funds to solicit donations to the Hogan campaign, and whether the Hogan campaign knowingly accepted the funds.

“Given that the fundraising activity in question took place on a prominent public website that clearly states that it is funded by a super PAC, it is difficult to imagine how the Hogan campaign did not know this not,” Veith wrote in the complaint.

If the FEC finds a violation, the complaint requests that money be returned to donors and fines imposed.

A spokesperson for Maryland’s Future released a statement Wednesday calling the complaint “frivolous” and highlighting a complaint filed against Democratic candidate Angela Alsobrooks earlier this year.

That complaint, filed by the conservative group Americans for Public Trust in June, alleged that Alsobrooks used money from his state-regulated fundraising account to launch his federal campaign for Senate.

An adviser to Alsobrooks told news outlet Politico at the time that payments from his state account to his fundraiser at the time of his campaign launch were part of regular payments covering previous work done in Maryland. And Alsobrooks herself told the Washington Examiner that the complaint was “false.”

“Angela Alsobrooks is the only candidate in this race who has violated FEC rules,” Lance Trover, a spokesperson for Maryland’s Future, said in a statement. “Maryland’s Future is in full compliance with the law and follows all Federal Election Commission regulations and guidelines. This is a frivolous complaint and we are confident it will be dismissed. »

Hogan’s campaign did not immediately respond to questions about the complaint.

Hogan and Alsobrooks are vying for a U.S. Senate seat from Maryland, which is up for election this year following longtime Democratic Sen. Benjamin Cardin’s decision not to run again.

Alsobrooks, currently serving his second term as head of Prince George’s County, is leading in recent polls against Hogan, a former two-term governor. The race has drawn national attention and tens of millions of dollars in advertising spending — with Maryland’s Future the biggest spender — because it could influence the balance of power in the Senate.

Democrats hold a 51-49 advantage that they hope to maintain, while Republicans hope to win enough seats to take control. While some other states’ Senate races appear closer, Maryland’s is competitive enough to factor into the national political conversation.

Mail-in voting is already underway, with in-person early voting October 24-31, followed by traditional voting on Election Day on November 5.