Support the Congressional Progressive Caucus receives from an outside charity dedicated to advancing the caucus's legislative objectives violates House rules, experts told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin said in February that he helped build the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, a dark money charity that funds staffers to work on progressive policy issues and fellows to work in caucus members' offices.
The leaders of the 97-member Congressional Progressive Caucus could face a formal censure or reprimand for using outside funds and services from the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, a nonprofit group, according to the experts.
Although the progressive caucus's relationship with the outside charity group "Seems like a clear violation of the rule," there likely won't be any consequences anytime soon, Acton Institute editor Joe Carter, who has researched congressional caucuses, told TheDCNF. "Article 1, section 5, clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution says that, 'Each House may punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member,'" Carter said.
Mitchell said the CPCC providing staff for the caucus violates both federal law and House ethics rules on "Unofficial office accounts." The rule, which was codified into federal law in 1991, prohibits the use of private donations to support the activities of a congressional office, which, according to Pocan, the CPCC is doing for his caucus.
The CPCC announced in October it raised $1.5 million to fund a nine-person staff to support the progressive caucus outside the halls of Congress and three to five fellows to work in caucus members' offices "To advance progressive policy goals while gaining substantive legislative experience."
Mitchell, the political law attorney, said outside groups are allowed to provide educational materials to lawmakers, but the line is crossed when a group provides outside staff to support a congressional office like the progressive caucus states it's doing with the CPCC. "It is not unusual for a policy group to occasionally suggest language for an amendment or legislation, but the issue here is whether this group does so on an ongoing basis. That would rise to the level of providing outside staff support for a congressional office, which is illegal," Mitchell told TheDCNF. "Never are they supposed to be drafting legislation and amendments and just feeding those to congressional offices to be introduced," she continued.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/21/progressive-caucus-nonprofit/
Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin said in February that he helped build the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, a dark money charity that funds staffers to work on progressive policy issues and fellows to work in caucus members' offices.
The leaders of the 97-member Congressional Progressive Caucus could face a formal censure or reprimand for using outside funds and services from the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, a nonprofit group, according to the experts.
Although the progressive caucus's relationship with the outside charity group "Seems like a clear violation of the rule," there likely won't be any consequences anytime soon, Acton Institute editor Joe Carter, who has researched congressional caucuses, told TheDCNF. "Article 1, section 5, clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution says that, 'Each House may punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member,'" Carter said.
Mitchell said the CPCC providing staff for the caucus violates both federal law and House ethics rules on "Unofficial office accounts." The rule, which was codified into federal law in 1991, prohibits the use of private donations to support the activities of a congressional office, which, according to Pocan, the CPCC is doing for his caucus.
The CPCC announced in October it raised $1.5 million to fund a nine-person staff to support the progressive caucus outside the halls of Congress and three to five fellows to work in caucus members' offices "To advance progressive policy goals while gaining substantive legislative experience."
Mitchell, the political law attorney, said outside groups are allowed to provide educational materials to lawmakers, but the line is crossed when a group provides outside staff to support a congressional office like the progressive caucus states it's doing with the CPCC. "It is not unusual for a policy group to occasionally suggest language for an amendment or legislation, but the issue here is whether this group does so on an ongoing basis. That would rise to the level of providing outside staff support for a congressional office, which is illegal," Mitchell told TheDCNF. "Never are they supposed to be drafting legislation and amendments and just feeding those to congressional offices to be introduced," she continued.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/21/progressive-caucus-nonprofit/
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