Civitas alleges that N.C. Families first did not properly register its name on campaign ads and also did not file their paperwork within the legal time frame.
There are three ads from N.C. Families First on YouTube:
More below the press release on N.C. Families First.
Press release from Civitas:
Oct. 8, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Susan Myrick (919) 834-2099 Susan.Myrick@nccivitas.org$640K Ad Campaign Broke Law, Civitas Charges
RALEIGH – Civitas today filed a complaint with the North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBOE) charging that North Carolina Families First has violated state elections laws.
Civitas Elections Policy Analyst Susan Myrick said, “Civitas has asked the North Carolina State Board of Elections to open an immediate investigation of North Carolina Families First, which we believe violated state law for failing to disclose in a timely and proper manner $640,000 in television campaign ads.”
The ads, targeting specific candidates, purportedly were paid for by “N.C. Families First,” Myrick said. But no such organization has filed with the SBOE.
The group called “North Carolina Families First” did file reports referring to the ads. But those reports were filed on Sept. 19. That too, however, would be a violation of state law, for records indicate the filing was six days after the deadline prescribed by law.
Civitas will ask the Board of Elections to open an immediate investigation and, if the charges are confirmed, turn the matter over to the Wake County District Attorney for prosecution.
The complaint letter is here.
The Civitas Institute is a policy institute based in Raleigh, N.C. More information is available at www.nccivitas.org, or contact Jim Tynen at (919) 834-2099 or james.tynen@nccivitas.org.
About N.C. Families First
Flashback to 2010 from the News and Observer: N.C. Families First Trying to oust Larry Kissell
An effort by public union employees to recruit a candidate to run against Democratic Congressman Larry Kissell has failed.
Wendell Fant, a former Kissell staffer, said Friday he would not run as an independent candidate against his former boss.
He had been recruited by N.C. Families First, a party financed by the State Employees Association of North Carolina and its parent union, the Service Employees International Union.
They were upset that Kissell had voted against the Democratic health care bill that passed Congress earlier this year.
The union-backed group first attempted to collect enough signatures to form a third political party but fell short. It then collected signatures to put a candidate on the ballot as an independent.
N.C. Families first is registered with the NC Secretary of state by Michael Weisel, an attorney at Bailey and Dixon.
The filings for NC Families first on the NC Secretary of State site also show that the name was changed as of August 2014 from “North Carolina Citizens for Progress” to “N.C. Families First”. The name N.C. Families first was reserved in June of this year by Weisel.
NC Secretary of State site shows North Carolina Citizens for Progress’s registered agent is also Weisel and was formed in 2011.
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