Economic Freedom Fund

Economic Freedom Fund

The Economic Freedom Fund (EFF) is a 527 group started in 2006 by Bob J. Perry, with a $5 million donation. Only one person is officially associated with the group: Charles H. Bell Jr., [ [http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/eff-fec/?resultpage=1& Federal Elections Commission filing, September 13, 2006, by the EFF] ] a lawyer from California, who is the general counsel for the California Republican Party, [Paul Kiel, [http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001518.php "Swift Boat Redux: Wealthy GOP Donor Drops $5 Mil for New Group"] , TPMMuckracker.com, September 14, 2006] and the Republican National Lawyers Association's vice president for the election education advisory council. [Rich Hardwick, [http://www.wmaz.com/redesign/web/news/top_story.aspx?storyid=29528 "Truth Test: Hidden Republicans Attack Marshall"] , WMAZ news, Macon, Georgia, September 7, 2006]

The $5 million initial donation makes the EFF one of the top ten 527 groups in the 2006 election cycle in terms of receipts. [ [http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtes.asp 527 Committee Activity: Top 50 Federally Focused Organizations] , opensecrets.com, accessed September 15, 2006]

EFF says its aim is to "educate the public concerning issues related to the preservation of economic freedom, the promotion of economic growth and prosperity for the people of the United States of America." [ [http://www.economicfreedomfund.com/who.html About the EFF] , accessed September 15, 2006]

Focus of efforts

All of EFF's campaign ads to date attack Democratic candidates. [ [http://www.economicfreedomfund.com/viewads.html EFF direct mail and television advertisements] , EFF website, accessed September 20, 2006] So far the attacks have been on:
*John Barrow (D-GA)
*Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
*Baron Hill (challenger in Indiana's 9th District)
*Jim Marshall (D-GA)
*Alan Mollohan (D-WV) [Paul Kiel, [http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001565.php "GOP Attack Group Hits 2nd Georgia Dem"] , TPMMuckracker.com, September 20, 2006]
*Darlene Hooley (D-OR) [ [http://www.image-com.org/blog_links/erickson1.rm EFF ad, accessed October 4, 2006 ] ]

Push polls

Indiana

In September 2006, the group may have violated a 1988 Indiana law that bars companies from placing a prerecorded, automated call to a person unless a real person, in a live conversation, first speaks and gets permission to play the recorded portion of the call. The calls were in support of incumbent Representative Mike Sodrel [Mary Beth Schneider, [http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060914/NEWS02/609140489/1006/NEWS01 "Automated call gets a lot of static: Dems contact attorney general's office"] , September 14, 2006] , and were a classic push poll, designed to smear Sodrel's opponent, Baron Hill, while appearing to be a legitimate survey.Paul Kiel, [http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001520.php "Shadowy 527 Behind Calls Hitting Democrats in Several States"] , TPMMuckracker.com, September 14, 2006] After at least seven complaints were made to the state attorney general's office, the campaign notified the office that they had halted the calls. The Indiana law allows for a penalty of up to $5,000 per violation (per call made, not per complaint). [Paul Kiel, [http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001547.php "Indiana Sues Swift Boater's New Attack Group"] , TPMMuckracker.com, September 18, 2006]

In late September, FreeEats.com, the northern Virginia company that makes automated political phone calls, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Indianapolis, asking that the court direct the Indiana attorney general to stop enforcing the state law. The company argued that the state law violated free speech rights under the United States and Indiana constitutions, and that the ban was an unconstitutional restraint on interstate commerce.

Indiana attorney general Steve Carter sued the EFF earlier in September, in Brown County Circuit Court after receiving 12 consumer complaints about the calls. The state's lawsuit seeks injunctions to stop them and fines of $5,000 for each violation. A hearing in the case is set for September 27. [Deanna Martin, [http://www.wvec.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8KA5L600.html "Virginia company sues Ind. over automated phone call ban"] , "Associated Press", September 22, 2006]

Other states

The group apparently used the same "push poll" approach in races in Iowa and Georgia in September 2006.

References

See also

* Americans for Honesty on Issues
* Free Enterprise Fund
* Bob J. Perry

External links

* [http://www.economicfreedomfund.com/index.html EFF website]
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Economic_Freedom_Fund SourceWatch]
* [http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001586.php "Shadowy Attack Group Uses Shadowy Calling Firm"]


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