Thread by @arapaho415

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim Brief <thread>:
1/ Per CNN, GOP did something similar in 2014 -- use a public platform (Twitter) to avoid FEC/CitizensUnited rule against (congressional) campaigns coordinating with SuperPACs and 👉tax-exempt dark money 501(c)4s👈.

https://twitter.com/clearing_fog/status/1416837758497165312

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 2/ Nov 2018 thread⤵️: (more...)

https://twitter.com/emlas/status/1068347430029205504

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 3/ Nov 17, 2014 (article has a 1:52 video explainer):
"Republicans and outside groups used anonymous Twitter accounts to share internal polling data ahead of the midterm elections, CNN has learned, a practice that raises questions... (con't)
cnn.com/2014/11/17/pol…

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 4/ ...about whether they violated campaign finance laws that prohibit coordination."
"At least two outside groups and a Republican campaign committee [NRCC] had access to the information posted to the accounts, according to the source. (con't)

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 5/ ...They include American Crossroads, the super PAC [527 organization] founded by Karl Rove; American Action Network, a nonprofit advocacy group [501(c)4*], and the National Republican Congressional Committee [NRCC]...
*tax-exempt, donors not disclosed
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_…

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 6/ ...which is the campaign arm for the House GOP."
American Action Network⤴️ was "established in 2010 by Fred Malek and Norm Coleman as a 501(c)(4) organization."
American Xroads is Karl Rove's SuperPAC (Mike Duncan [USPS Board of Governors] is director).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_…

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 7/ "The [Twitter] accounts that CNN reviewed were active in the months ahead of this month’s [2014] election, which gave Republicans their largest majority in the House since World War II and control of the Senate. They were live until Nov. 3 but deleted minutes after... (con't)

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 8/ ...CNN contacted the NRCC with questions."
"American Crossroads dropped $21.6 million during the most recent [2014] election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The American Action Network, meanwhile, spent nearly $9 million on federal elections in 2014.

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 9/ ...It’s difficult to determine whether Twitter posts prompted ad buys or other spending in specific races.
Two of the profiles were named @/TruthTrain14 and @/brunogianelli44 but it’s unclear which group used specific accounts." (more...)

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 10/ Bruno Gianelli is "a fictional character in The West Wing who pressed his colleagues to use ethically questionable 'soft money' to fund campaigns."
"A typical tweet read: 'CA-40/43-44/49-44/44-50/36-44/49-10/16/14-52→49/476-10s.' The source said posts like that... (con't)

@clearing_fog @visionsurreal @threader_app @CatsChocolates @satirehat @nycjim 11/ ...–which would look like gibberish to most people–represented polling data for various House races."
See video embedded in CNN article for explanation of how the "typical tweet" shared polling data between NRCC, Rove's SuperPAC and dark money 501(c)4. /end