RALEIGH — A campaign finance complaint tied to excessive donations in violation of campaign laws has been filed against a PAC operated by the N.C. Association of Educators.
The complaint against the North Carolina Association of Educators Political Action Committee (NCAE PAC) was filed with the State Board of Elections by the Civitas Institute, a conservative 501(c)3 nonprofit located in Raleigh.
“The NCAE has worked for years to push a pro-union agenda that inhibits families’ educational freedom,” Civitas Institute CEO Donald Bryson said in a statement. “Now, it appears that they are either willing to break campaign finance law to meet those ends or have inhibited the spirit of transparency in our campaign finance laws.”
According to the complaint, the NCAE PAC’s second-quarter 2020 campaign contribution disclosures reveal violations of campaign contribution laws that include excessive contributions beyond the $5,400 limit to the campaigns of both Gov. Roy Cooper and Sen. Dan Blue (D-Wake).
Dr. Andy Jackson, Civitas elections policy analyst, said that NCAE PAC reported $12,600 in contributions to “Citizens for Dan Blue as of February 26, 2020.”
“Since Dan Blue did not face a runoff election in the 2020 election cycle, the maximum cumulative amount NCAE PAC could legally contribute to Citizens for Dan Blue is $10,800,” Jackson said.
Civitas’ formal complaint describes a more complex issue with NCAE PAC’s contributions to Cooper.
“According to the second quarter, 2020 disclosure report filed by the NCAE PAC, they contributed a sum-to-date of $6,400 to Cooper for North Carolina on February 25, 2020. In the same report, the NCAE PAC reports making a $5,400 contribution to Roy Cooper for Attorney General on February 26, 2020,” the complaint reads.
The complaint goes on to explain that “According to a statement of organization filed on October 14, 2015, the candidate committee of Roy A. Cooper III changed its name from ‘Cooper for Attorney General’ to ‘Cooper for North Carolina.’ However the committee’s ID number, STA-Co498N-C-002, remained unchanged, indicating that they are the same committee. Therefore, the sum of contributions from NCAE PAC to Roy A. Cooper III’s candidate committee is $11,800.”
The complaints can be viewed at the links below:
Civitas Institute NCAE PAC Complaint – Dan Blue
Civitas Institute NCAE PAC Complaint – Roy Cooper
