McCutcheon v. FEC amicus brief
CoA Letter Requesting Investigation of IRS Violations
Cause of Action letter to the U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey requesting an investigation of the IRS and their employees in the IRS Cincinnati Service Center in Kentucky for potential violations of the law concerning conspiracy by singling out organizations based on political views stated in their tax-exempt applications.
Shaun McCutcheon et al v. Federal Election Commission- AMICUS CURIAE SUPPORTING APPELLANTS
Cause of Action submitted an Amicus Curiae to the Supreme Court of the United States. The case is Shaun McCutcheon et al v. Federal Election Commission.
Amicus Briefs in Drakes Bay Case From Unlikely Allies
Two weeks after the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision to keep the Drakes Bay Oyster Company (DBOC) open while the court considers its appeal, a group of local food and agriculture supporters have filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the oyster farm.
The brief was submitted by Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant, the Marin and Sonoma County Farm Bureaus, California Farm Bureau Federation, Marin Organic, Food Democracy Now, Alliance for Local Sustainable Agriculture, the Hayes Street Grill and Stacy Carlsen, Agriculture Commissioner for the County of Marin.
The group provides examples of local implications if the farm was ordered to close:
- The shellfish produced in Drakes Estero are important to the local economy and since there are no other options in California to relocate the oyster beds, the supply would be disrupted.
- Many restaurants and businesses will lose the feature of providing local and sustainable resources.
- Other California shellfish growers will be required to pay higher fees or receive reduced State services if DBOC was shut down.
- The local school will lose value on its work to close the achievement gap if the children of the workers living on the oyster farm are evicted.
The brief also addresses the issue of the National Park Service’s use of misrepresented science in the Environment Impact Statement that led to the decision to shut down the farm.
Cause of Action, Stoel Rives, LLP, and Briscoe Ivester & Basel, LLP, filed an opening brief in the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on behalf of Drakes Bay Oyster Company (DBOC). The court is scheduled to hear this appeal challenge on May 14.
The amicus brief can be found here.
CoA Takes Action Against DNC, Sebelius Aide for breaking the law
Cause of Action filed a complaint before the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today alleging that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Andrew Tobias, treasurer of the DNC, violated the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and FEC regulations when they reimbursed the Department of Health and Human Services for Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ 2012 Hatch Act violation.
In September, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) found Sebelius guilty of violating the Hatch Act, but claimed that the DNC’s reimbursement meant that the “issue had been resolved.” Cause of Action has found that the DNC failed to properly disclose its reimbursements as independent expenditures, therefore violating FECA.
Cause of Action’s investigation also raises the question as to whether Sebelius’ use of her official capacity to support President Obama’s re-election was paid for by a loan from the United States, later reimbursed by the DNC, but nevertheless in potential violation of 18 U.S.C. § 595.
Cause of Action is also filing a complaint with OSC requesting an investigation into Sebelius’s aide, AJ Pearlman. The complaint states that though Pearlman’s expenses were reimbursed, she was never investigated for potential violations of the law – including a violation of the Hatch Act.
Please see these important documents below:
OSC complaint against AJ Pearlman