On Monday, April 10, 2023, the Philadelphia Board of Ethics filed an emergency petition to enforce Philadelphia’s Campaign Finance Law in the Court of Common Pleas against Respondents For a Better Philadelphia 501(c)(4) and For a Better Philadelphia PAC. The Board is asking the Court to order the Respondents to immediately cease and desist all expenditures to influence the outcome of the 2023 Philadelphia primary and general Mayoral elections and to pay civil monetary penalties.
The Board is seeking emergency injunctive relief after finding extensive evidence in an ongoing investigation that the Respondents coordinated with mayoral candidate Jeff Brown to circumvent the City’s annual contribution limits. As detailed in the attached petition, the Board alleges that Brown helped fundraise millions of dollars on behalf of the Respondents, who have in turn made expenditures in support of Brown’s candidacy. Because Brown solicited funds for and directed funds to the Respondents within the twelve months prior to the 2023 Democratic primary election for Mayor, all of Respondents’ past and future expenditures to influence the outcome of the election are coordinated[1] with Brown’s campaign and are therefore in-kind contributions[2] to Brown’s campaign subject to the City’s contribution limits.[3]
The Board alleges that all or nearly all of the expenditures reported by the Respondents exceed the annual contribution limits for both 2022 and 2023 and that immediate emergency relief is needed to stop continuing violations.
[1] See Board Regulation No. 1.33(d).
[2] See Board Regulation No. 1.1(p)(iii).
[3] See Board Regulation No. 1.8.