If you’re going to read one email from me this month, please make it this one.

Public Citizen is under attack from a dark money political operation bankrolled
by multiple right-wing billionaires.

In a letter to the Department of Justice, the dark money outfit No Labels named
Public Citizen as a group that it thinks should be investigated under the
federal RICO statute — which was designed to prosecute organized crime — for an
alleged “conspiracy to use retaliation, fear, intimidation, and even threats of
violence.”

* No Labels has made a lot of news over its plans to spend as much as $70
million running an “independent” candidate for president in the 2024
election.

* While it hasn’t yet figured out who that candidate will be, a top contender
seems to be Joe Manchin, the “centrist” senator from West Virginia who has
perpetually stalled progress on all kinds of legislation that would help
everyday Americans.

* No Labels is operating as if it were a political party or a nascent one, but
— and this seems to be why it is attacking us — it is legally registered as a
social welfare organization, which enables it to function as a dark money
enterprise.

* The rules are different for political parties. For example, political parties
are required to disclose their donors. No Labels refuses to disclose its
funders.

* Though one No Labels benefactor we do know about is Harlan Crow, the
right-wing billionaire who was exposed last year as having provided
undisclosed financial subsidies to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
going back at least two decades.

* Crow is also a noted collector of Nazi memorabilia, including a signed copy
of Adolf Hitler’s manifesto Mein Kampf and two paintings by Hitler.

* I want to be clear that Public Citizen is not opposed to independent
candidates and political parties. But we will call out dark money entities
that masquerade as political parties while flouting campaign finance and
election laws.

Of course, No Labels has No Evidence, because we haven’t committed any crimes
against it.

But we still have to fight these bogus allegations — and the dark money forces
corrupting our democracy.

So I’m asking:

Please donate today to help Public Citizen continue standing up to the MAGA
billionaires that always seem to be coming for us.
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A group of longtime supporters will match anything you contribute today
dollar-for-dollar. [[link removed]]

I’ll say that again: [[link removed]]

Every donation made today in response to this message will be matched
dollar-for-dollar. [[link removed]]

DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR MATCH — CONTRIBUTE NOW
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Or sign up as a Monthly Donor today and your contribution will be matched
dollar-for-dollar each month for a full year!
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If donating today is not a good fit, that’s okay.

Either way, I hope you appreciate knowing a little more about the work you and
Public Citizen are doing together and about those who don’t like that we’re
doing it.

Thank you for being part of this shared project called Public Citizen.

For democracy,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen


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