#ncga: House majority leader files elections complaint

House Majority leader Mike Hager is stepping in to defend one of his caucus members being savaged by a Raleigh-based Super PAC:

To:kim.strach@ncsbe.gov
Subject:Conservative Future Fund 527hager

Ms. Strach,

Thank you for meeting with Representative Burr and myself last week. Below you will find a complaint I wish to file with NC Board of Elections against the Conservative Future Fund, a 527 PAC. I believe the following four activities have occurred.

1. The Conservative Future Fund (CFF) has violated state law by initiating electioneering activities before filing the required paperwork to be recognized as an entity that could perform electioneering activities.

CFF mailers arrived in households in NC House District 67 on or prior to the 29th of February. Activities to raise funds, design mailers, orchestrate mailing, printing mailers and paying the cost of the mailers would have logically taken place well before February the 29th. Although funds were raised and invoices were paid under the auspices of a legal 527 in NC, CFF’S origination date was not until March 4, 2016.

2. The Conservative Future Fund (CFF) conspired to conceal it’s donors until after the settled primary by delaying the required filings even though electioneering activities were being performed.

CFF knowingly waited to file the required reports to legally become a NC 527 after March 1st, 2016, even though it’s Board of Directors were engaging in raising and spending funds to send mailers out in NC District 67. This late filing was in an effort to not divulge CFF’S donors until after the primary was conclude

3. The Conservative Future Fund conspired to conceal the source of the electioneering activities, such as political mailers, by mislabeling those same mailers.

The two mailers that were received prior to the origination date of CFF and the proper reports filed, failed to contain the proper disclosure that the mailers were not authorized by any candidate.

4. The Conservative Future Fund purposely misrepresented Rep. Burr’s record as a legislator in an effort to fraudulently sway voters.baby

The mailer received on March 2nd, 2016 stated that Rep. Burr had voted for House Bill 97 but legislative records indicated he had not. This mailers sought to dissuade voters improperly and fraudulently to not vote for Rep. Burr.

Ms. Strach, I believe, from the evidence I have thus far, that the the Board of Directors for the Conservative Future Fund, which are;

Bethany Waylett, Annie Duncan Blackburn, Roger Lee Currie, Gilbert Parker

did work together to hide the donors of the Conservative Future Fund while performing electioneering activities. I would request, that if you find any of the above 4 issues to have merit, that you forward this message and the evidence to the Wake County District Attorney and recommend criminal charges.

Thank you for your time,

Mike Hager