It is so far unclear whether the board is looking into Brown’s campaign, independent groups backing or connected to him, or both. Creamer last week said he could neither confirm nor deny an investigation, as is required by the board’s regulations. Investigations are kept private until resolved, and subjects of ethics board investigations are presumed innocent until proven otherwise, as is the case with criminal investigations.
It’s unclear whether the investigation will be complete before the May 16 primary, and Perrone said she was unsure of the extent of the inquiry. Cauley on Saturday said that he was instructed by the Board of Ethics that the campaign can neither confirm nor deny an investigation. The board’s regulations prohibit people contacted by its investigators from publicly disclosing information they learned solely from being involved in the probe.
Because they are not subject to the rules that apply to candidates, super PACs are prohibited from coordinating with campaigns, meaning they cannot work together on strategies such as how to craft advertisements and when to run them. Those ads, along with $1.2 million worth of ads funded by Brown’s campaign, have helped raise the profile of the first-time candidate.
The group raised eyebrows in Philly political circles when it first came to light in campaign finance reports in early 2022, and Brown’s team was tight-lipped about it at the time, saying only that it was not a campaign-in-waiting for Brown.