Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
The answer all depends on what the meaning of “is” is.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund Political Action Committee gave $31,500 the Kansas Democratic Party for “non express advocacy voter contact services” on Oct 24, only 10 days before the November 2008 elections.
Is a political mailing, or other political activity like a phone call, that leaves out certain words, like “vote for” or “vote against,” not really political? Legally the answer is probably “yes,” but can most voters tell the difference between a political mailing or phone call and one that is only “non express advocacy”? Isn’t this distinction even more puzzling to voters in the days before an election?
In addition to sending $31,500 to the KDP, Gov. Sebelius’ PAC sent $11,309 to a Washington, DC firm, “Activate – The Next Big Thing,” also for “non express advocacy voter contact services” in the days before the November 2008 elections.
This web page tells about Activate / Next Big Thing Partners:
Activate is a system that puts supporters to work on the phones, getting the message out – without having to waste time on dialing, printing call sheets or even waiting for the phone to ring. Activate maximizes volunteer time, dramatically increases voter contact, and allows you to manage your virtual call center in real time. It was designed by The Next Big Thing, LLC team, who have decades of experience and made millions of calls to help Democrats and progressive organizations.
That web page gives the address matching the Bluestem report, 2000 M St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036 and their web page, www.nextbigthing.us, which has an Internet alias of talkupactivate.com:
Break the Status Quo! …
With Activate, campaigns can use volunteers to make calls without dialing. Now, volunteers only spend time talking to people and helping the cause — all for less money than paid calls!
The web site says the Hillary Clinton campaign used Activate to make 20 million calls!
The phone number for Activate given by salsa commons, 202-609-7878, was listed just yesterday for phone canvassers on the Activate/GreenUp project on the Democratic Gain page.
The Bluestem PAC spent a total of $42,809 on “non express advocacy voter contact services” but then on Nov 5, two days after the election, paid Activate — Next Big Thing a total of $9215 to make phone calls in State Rep districts 19, 23, 24, 39, 54, 72 and 81. When the $42,809 was spent by the PAC and the KDP, they didn’t know then which State Rep districts they were helping with non-express advocacy?
Did the Kansas Press explain anything about these Bluestem Fund PAC last minute expenditures spent for non express advocacy?
I can only find Monday’s report by the Topeka Capital-Journal where Republicans, Rep. Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson (current speaker of the house) and Rep. Melvin Neufeld (former speaker of the house) were questioned about their $50,000 expenditures in “obscure legislative races.” That article mentions the Bluestem PAC, but does not mention anything about the last minute non express advocacy money spent by Seblius and the Kansas Democrats.
The Hays Daily News reported on Monday the origin of the story was Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka. That story did not mention Sebelius’ PAC spending in any State Rep races.
While technically legal, Kansas Democrats were likely the ones behind a secretive non-profit in 2006 that used “non express advocacy” to knock how about a half-dozen Republican State Reps, and didn’t report any political money on a campaign finance report. That non-profit has also not filed an IRS 990 with the IRS, even though the Meadowlark continues to press the IRS for information about the Progress Kansas non-profit two years after that election.
Related:
- GOP donations pointed: Documents raise queries about how two legislators directed funds, Topeka Capital-Journal, Jan 12, 2009.
- Dem questions GOP activities in Kan. campaigns, Hays Daily News, Jan 12, 2009.
- Out-of-State Money Floods Kansas: Sebelius’ and Greater KC Chamber’s PACs to “own” Kansas, Kansas Meadowlark, Oct 28, 2008.
Tags: Activate / The Next Big Thing, Bluestem Fund PAC, Kansas Democratic Party, Kathleen Sebelius, Melvin Neufeld, Mike O'Neal
There needs to be a public outcry to the Secretary of State BEFORE he runs for Sebelius’ seat.