Conservative group files complaint against Sean Combs and Citizen Change

A conservative group, The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), has announced that the group is filing a formal Complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Sean Combs.

Also named as a Respondent is Citizen Change, an organization founded by Combs that sponsored the Vote or Die! Campaign during last year’s presidential election.

NLPC alleges that Combs and Citizen Change appear to have violated the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and the Internal Revenue Service Code by promoting the election of John Kerry and the defeat of George Bush. Citizen Change purported to promote voter mobilization, consistent with the activities of a nonprofit organization, but engaged in prohibited electioneering activities,

The Complaint notes that Citizen Change is at the same address as Combs’ businesses, raising the possibility that corporate funds were illegally used in support of Citizen Change’s activities. The Complaint also points to the campaign’s emphasis on fashion, style and conspicuous consumption, and asks the FEC to investigate whether the real purpose of the Vote or Die! campaign was to advance a commercial activity, namely Combs’ line of clothing and/or his clothing company.

The Complaint cites Citizen Change rallies where speakers called for the election of Kerry and the defeat of Bush, including an event on October 26, 2004 at Wayne State University where actor Leonardo DiCaprio urged the crowd to vote for Kerry, as did Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Combs was honored Thursday evening by the  the NAACP Legal Defense Fund at its National Equal Justice Award Dinner in New York City. A special award will be presented to Combs for his innovative efforts to register voters and engage America's youth in the democratic process.

Congressman John Lewis (D-GA.), Johnson Publishing Company President Linda Johnson Rice and Combs were selected to be honored at the NAACP’s most important annual event at the Hilton New York & Towers.

Of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Award, Peter Flaherty, president of the NLPC and former Chairman of Citizens for Reagan said, “Honoring Combs shows how badly the civil rights movement has lost its way. I think of the courage and decency of Rosa Parks, and then I think of what Combs represents.”

Flaherty continued, “The Vote or Die! Campaign was little more than a way for Combs to call attention to himself. In terms of effectiveness, it was a joke.”

Flaherty had this to say about the Millions More Movement march, "There is nothing positive at all about this event. It must be condemned without qualification and in its totality."