Red State Rabble: Right Wing PACs Funnel Money to Board Candidates, But is it Legal?

Red State Rabble: Right Wing PACs Funnel Money to Board Candidates, But is it Legal?: "

Kansas election laws limit contributions to state school board candidates from individuals and political action committees to $500 dollars in each primary and general election cycle. A study of campaign finance reports by Red State Rabble reveals that a network of interlocking conservative political action committees have been constructed by conservatives to skirt Kansas campaign finance laws and channel money to conservatives on the board.

In 2002, the state and federal Free Academic Inquiry and Research (FAIR) PACs shared a post office box with the Kansas Republican Victory Fund -- which also runs state and federal PACs. Both are associated with and share a post office box with the right-wing Kansas Republican Assembly. In 2002, Elizabeth Stark was the Kansas Republican Assembly Treasurer, the Treasurer of FAIR and the Kansas Republican Victory Fund. In 2005, Marilee Martin was listed as treasurer for these same PACs. All three organizations, and their state and federal PACS, list PO Box 626, Topeka, KS 66601 as their address.

When Red State Rabble first reported on this shadowy interlocking network of right-wing PACs, we noted:

The incestuous relationships between FAIR, Kansas Republican Victory Fund, Kansas Republican Assembly, their state and local PACs, and their leading contributors, raise serious questions about whether the spirit of the campaign finance law has been skirted.

Back then, we believed that these machinations were highly unethical, but probably not illegal.

Today, in light of Monday's ruling by a Texas judge to uphold felony charges against former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) stemming from alleged money laundering in connection with the 2002 Texas election, we're not so sure certain aspects of the Kansas operation aren't at least technically illegal.

DeLay is charged, and now will likely have to stand trial, on charges that he funneled money from corporate donors to GOP candidates for the Texas Legislature through PACs he controlled in order to conceal their source.

Texas law prohibits corporate contributions to legislative candidates."