Three secretive Washington, D.C. based consulting firms run by former Obama campaign staffers and two Democrat direct mail attack firms have combined to spend what is now more than $3.4 million through an independent expenditure shell group known as Highway 31 in an attempt to defeat conservative Republican Roy Moore in Tuesday’s special election for the U.S. Senate in Alabama.
Based on available public records, every penny of this $3.4 million has been provided to Highway 31, which has no assets and no cash, according its latest financial status filing with the Federal Election Commission, on credit.
That means the ads spent in Alabama since the shell group’s formation on November 6 constitute either in-kind contributions from the firms run by former Obama campaign staffers, or have been paid for by unknown donors – almost uncertainly out-of-state liberals.
No one will know where the money for these ads attacking Roy Moore and supporting liberal Democrat Doug Jones came from until more than a month after next Tuesday’s election, because the organizers of Highway 31 are using a loophole in FEC regulations to avoid those disclosures until January 21.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Moore campaign called out Highway 31 for its pattern of deceptive tactics.
An estimated $3.1 million out of the $3.4 million in credit extended to Highway 31 has come from three Washington, D.C. based firms run by former Obama campaign staffers, whose identities Breitbart News reported previously:
GMMB Consulting, the parent company of Waterfront Strategies, was founded and is still run by former Obama campaign staffer Jim Margolis.
Bully Pulpit Interactive was founded and is still run by former Obama campaign official Andrew Bleeker.
Putnam Partners was founded and is still run by former Obama campaign staffer Mark Putnam.
On Wednesday, Highway 31 dropped another $430,857 into the race, bringing its total credit induced expenditures since November 6 to $3,465,183, according to a report filed with the FEC late Thursday afternoon.
The breakdown of Wednesday’s expenditures by Highway 31 are as follows:
Bully Pulpit Interactive
1140 Connecticut Ave NW
Ste 800
Washington, DC 200364010Purpose of Expenditure: Online Advertising & Media Production Costs – Estimate
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Roy Moore
Candidate ID: S8AL00340
Office Sought: Senate
State is Alabama in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation =
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 12/06/2017
Person Completing Form: Edward Still
Date Signed = 12/07/2017
Amount Expended = $153,983.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $3,465,183.01Denise Nelson Voiceovers
7878 N Main St
Apt 1L
Jonesboro, Georgia 302362229Purpose of Expenditure: Media Production Costs – Estimate
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Roy Moore
Candidate ID: S8AL00340
Office Sought: Senate
State is Alabama in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation =
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 12/06/2017
Person Completing Form: Edward Still
Date Signed = 12/07/2017
Amount Expended = $270.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $3,465,183.01Putnam Partners
1100 Vermont Ave NW
Ste 1200
Washington, DC 200056334Purpose of Expenditure: Media Production Costs – Estimate
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Roy Moore
Candidate ID: S8AL00340
Office Sought: Senate
State is Alabama in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation =
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 12/06/2017
Person Completing Form: Edward Still
Date Signed = 12/07/2017
Amount Expended = $25,599.69
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $3,465,183.01Putnam Partners
1100 Vermont Ave NW
Ste 1200
Washington, DC 200056334Purpose of Expenditure: Media Production Costs – Estimate
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Roy Moore
Candidate ID: S8AL00340
Office Sought: Senate
State is Alabama in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation =
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 12/06/2017
Person Completing Form: Edward Still
Date Signed = 12/07/2017
Amount Expended = $24025.16
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $3,465,183.01Waterfront Strategies
3050 K St NW
Ste 100
Washington, DC 200075108Purpose of Expenditure: Media Buy – Estimate
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Doug Jones
Candidate ID: S0AL00156
Office Sought: Senate
State is Alabama in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation =
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 12/06/2017
Person Completing Form: Edward Still
Date Signed = 12/07/2017
Amount Expended = $24,957.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $3,465183.01Waterfront Strategies
3050 K St NW
Ste 100
Washington, DC 200075108Purpose of Expenditure: Media Buy – Estimate
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Doug Jones
Candidate ID: S0AL00156
Office Sought: Senate
State is Alabama in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation =
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 12/06/2017
Person Completing Form: Edward Still
Date Signed = 12/07/2017
Amount Expended = $35,821.23
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $3,465,183.01Waterfront Strategies
3050 K St NW
Ste 100
Washington, DC 200075108Purpose of Expenditure: Media Buy – Estimate
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Roy Moore
Candidate ID: S8AL00340
Office Sought: Senate
State is Alabama in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation =
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 12/06/2017
Person Completing Form: Edward Still
Date Signed = 12/07/2017
Amount Expended = $166,201.23
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $3,465,183.01
Subtotal of Itemized Independent Expenditures = $430,857.31
Subtotal of Unitemized Independent Expenditures = $0
Total Expenditures This Period = $430,857.31
On Tuesday, Highway 31 spent $100,598 with Resonance Campaigns, a Washington, D.C. based Democrat direct mail attack piece operation, for direct mail to oppose Roy Moore, according to FEC reports.
With five full days of expenditures left to report before Tuesday’s election, the shell group used by former Obama campaign staffers to attack Roy Moore could easily exceed $5 million in total spending–all in less than 40 days since its formation on November 6.
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