PA-07: PAC that spent $1.7 million in Democratic primary may have violated campaign finance law, FEC complaint says

Lead Left PAC, which spent more than $1.7 million to influence the outcome of the 7th Congressional District Democratic May 19 primary, appears to have violated federal campaign finance regulations by spending money on ads created by two “shell companies,” according to a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The complaint – filed May 14 by Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C., democracy watchdog group – also references the PAC’s similar efforts in congressional primaries in Texas and Nebraska.

In total, Lead Left, which reportedly has Republican connections, spent more than $3 million over 20 days in May leading up to the primaries.

In the 7th District, the super PAC paid for TV ads and campaign materials to attack candidates Ryan Crosswell and eventual winner Bob Brooks while supporting Lamont McClure. McClure, who finished third behind Brooks and Crosswell, was unaware of the PAC or its intentions before the ads began. Federal election law prohibits a PAC from coordinating its expenditures with a candidate’s campaign. The PAC never mentioned the fourth candidate, Carol Obando-Derstine.



https://armchairlehighvalley.substack.com/p/pac-that-spent-17-million-in-pa-7