Last week, a 501 nonprofit operated by LUPE Votes disclosed that it had spent $51,000 helping Vallejo in the first quarter of the year, paying for canvassers and literature like direct mail and door hangers.
Campaign finance experts agree that the complaints about the late disclosure and incomplete disclaimer appear to be clear-cut violations. The independent expenditures were a significant boost given that the primary got off to a late start due to Gonzalezs decision and because candidates had less time than usual to ramp up fundraising for the March 1 primary.
LUPE Votes also operates a political action committee that can coordinate with Vallejo’s campaign. Its nonprofit entity can work to get voter support for Vallejo but cannot coordinate with her campaign. A Dec. 8 memo obtained by the Tribune and addressed to “all LUPE employees and consultants” outlined which employees were working for the PAC and the nonprofit, and it outlined steps to maintain an “internal firewall” to guard against illegal coordination.
PatrickSvitek How is this any different than nonprofit churches telling their parishoners who to vote for?
Of course they are …