The Facts: Dan Lungren and American Crossroads
THE FACTS: DAN LUNGREN AND AMERICAN CROSSROADS
Dan Lungren and American Crossroads oppose transparency in campaign contributions.
• By incorporating under 501(C)4 of the IRS code, Crossroads GPS used a loophole to hide information about individual donors. In the words of Republican operatives, this added a “value of confidentiality” and “worked like a charm” (Politico, 6/30/10; New York Times, 10/11/10).
• American Crossroads raised money from a “network of angry corporate and conservative donors, a task made easier by the Supreme Court’s January ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.” These companies “are actively seeking the anonymity provided by new…independent groups in the post-Citizens United World” (Center for Public Integrity, 10/04/10).
• From 2009 -- 2010, Lungren accepted $15,000 from Citizens United, then starred in an incendiary Citizens United film alongside Ann Coulter (CQMoneyLine Candidate Search, “Dan Lungren,” moneyline.cq.com; Battle for America Movie Web Site, “Cast,” http://battleforamericamovie.com).
• In June, Dan Lungren voted against the DISCLOSE Act to require greater transparency and accountability in campaign spending and reporting (HR 5175, Vote #391, 6/24/2010).
• Lungren applauded the Supreme Court Citizens United decision on the floor of the House, saying that the “Supreme Court finally got it right.” The Citizens United decision overturned decades of campaign finance law and allowed corporations to spend unlimited amounts on ads and other campaign activities. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEYzdPxtc1M).
Dan Lungren and American Crossroads are looking out for the same people – Big Oil Billionaires and Wall Street lobbyists.
• Through June of 2010, 97% of the money American Crossroads raised was from four billionaires, including two oil and gas billionaires. Paul Singer, manager of one of the world’s largest Wall Street hedge funds has donated over a million dollars. Carl Linder, owner of financial investment giant AFG has donated $400,000 (Salon, 7/23/10; Center for Public Integrity, 10/04/10; Salon, 9/20/10)
• American Crossroads leadership includes Advisor Ed Gillespie, a former lobbyist for Enron, President Steve Law, a lobbyist for the Chamber of Commerce, and Advisor Karl Rove, architect of the Bush administrations policies (“Ed Gillespie,” Lobby Registration Report, 2/15/02; “Law Chamber of Commerce Bio”).
• Dan Lungren has taken $84,950 from gas and oil companies since 2003, including $12,000 from Chevron, $7,500 from Exxon Mobile, and $2,000 from BP’s PAC. When asked about the money he received from these companies, Lungren said “If I could get more, I’d take more” (CQMoneyLine Candidate Search, “Dan Lungren,” moneyline.cq.com; Elk Grove City Hall, 3/25/2008 ).
• Lungren voted for $2.633 billion in tax breaks to oil refining and natural gas companies (Joint Committee on Taxation, “Estimated Budget Effects of the Conference Agreement for Title XIII. Of HR 6,” 7/27/05).
