FEC files its 'explanation and justification' in court
The Washington Post reports: The Federal Election Commission said yesterday that it will police "527" groups, political organizations that largely operated outside the new campaign finance limits during the 2004 presidential election, by looking at how the groups word their appeals for contributions, how they describe themselves, and how they spend their money.
If the groups make clear that they are advocating for or against a specific candidate, the FEC would regulate them. ...
The FEC filed the 44-page explanation of its approach in U.S. District Court yesterday in response to a lawsuit challenging the agency's effectiveness in regulating the independent groups.
Some of the groups, which are called 527s because of their designation in the tax code, raised and spent large sums of money to pay for nuanced political ads that appeared to be intended to skirt the new federal rules. -- FEC to Police '527' Groups' Campaign Activities - washingtonpost.com