#MESen: King Campaign Busted With False Excuse, Spokesperson Confirms Coordination

Documents prove Eliot Cutler was Board member of Unregistered SuperPAC, Despite Denials

AUGUSTA – Angus King campaign chair and failed gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler has been caught trying to deceive reporters about his involvement with an illegally-coordinated money funneling scheme to support Angus King’s struggling senate campaign.

And King’s spokesperson Crystal Canney’s comments confirm the campaign’s involvement.

Cutler is a member of the Board of Directors of Americans Elect, a self-described “social welfare” organization that pledged under oath to the IRS that it would not advocate on behalf of any candidate or campaign. Cutler’s group broke this oath when it funneled more than $1 million into the Maine senate race to support Angus King. Federal Election law prohibits third-party groups from coordinating with campaigns, but Eliot Cutler serves as both a board member of Americans Elect and the chair of Angus King’s campaign.

To try to deflect criticism for illegal coordination, Cutler has been telling reporters he resigned from Americans Elect’s board on June 26.

However, official documents filed with the State of Rhode Island show Eliot Cutler was still a board member as of June 29, 2012.

Americans Elect Rhode Island Annual Report Filed June 29, 2012 (1)

Crystal Canney responded to news that Cutler’s organization was spending money in Maine by confirming the campaign’s coordination.

“We will not unilaterally disarm, the time has passed when this money could have been kept out of Maine.”

King’s ability to ‘disarm’ would require coordination with Cutler’s group. So what does this mean? Did they ask for it? Fundraise for it? Suggest someone do it at one of their out-of-state fundraisers?

“Angus King can’t claim to represent a different kind of politics – and Americans Elect can’t claim to be an alternative to party politics – as long as they both engage in this kind of double talk and hypocrisy,” said Maine Republican Party spokesman David Sorensen.