Over four years after the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a complaint against the super PAC Americans for Progressive Action USA for filing false financial disclosures, the Federal Election Commission has issued a decision. The FEC ruled in FACT’s favor after finding violations of federal law that also led to a criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice.
FACT's May 2020 complaint outlined that in April 2020, Americans for Progressive Action USA made FEC filings in which they reported raising over $4.8 million and spending more than $2.5 million on political advertising. Numerous irregularities were identified with the super PAC’s filings, raising suspicion. During its subsequent investigation, the FEC found there was reason to believe that Americans for Progressive Action USA and Christopher Henry Richardson (both as treasurer and in his personal capacity) "knowingly and willfully violated 52 U.S.C. § 30104(b). The investigation revealed that Richardson, who was formerly known as Christopher Henry Aragon, used the false name Evan Jones to file documents with the FEC and the information in those documents was also false.
Ultimately, Richardson was criminally prosecuted and pled "guilty in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Crim. No. 1:24-cr-00084-TNM, to knowingly and willfully violating 18 U.S.C. § 1519 by filing false disclosure reports with the Federal Election Commission including a report claiming that his independent expenditure-only political committee, Americans for Progressive Action USA made expenditures on advertising for multiple United States Senate races, when, in fact, as criminal defendant Christopher Henry Richardson well knew, the Committee had not made any such expenditures." He was sentenced to 18 months in prison. On August 7, 2024, the FEC entered into a conciliation agreement with Richardson also finding he knowingly and willfully violated 52 U.S.C. § 30104(b) by filing a false Statement of Organization, false disclosure reports, and false 48-Hour Independent Expenditure Reports with the Commission. The FEC waived its civil penalty due to the fact that Richardson was already paying $232,000 of restitution and had limited assets.
Kendra Arnold, Executive Director of FACT:
“On behalf of the American public, I am pleased this case has been fully adjudicated and the truth revealed. Like many of the cases we bring before the FEC, this was an important one dealing with political spending, fabrications, and fraud. Unfortunately, it took the Commission over four years to issue its ruling in a case where the law was clear, which cannot fill the public with confidence that those who violate federal law will be held accountable in a timely manner. Cases before the FEC are often time sensitive and they must act more swiftly to discourage would-be violators from this kind of unlawful behavior. Regardless, FACT will continue to investigate and bring these cases to light, and it is important that ultimately justice was done here.”
ORIGINAL FACT COMPLAINT: https://www.factdc.org/post/fact-calls-for-probe-of-the-super-pac-americans-for-progressive-action-usa