PALO ALTO — Today the Chris Kelly for Attorney General campaign filed an FPPC complaint against the PowerPAC.org Voter Fund for violating election law in an independent expenditure on behalf of Kamala Harris and unlawfully hiding its donors and contributions. The "non-profit" group, which was dormant until two weeks ago, conveniently purchased $140,000 in radio ads for Harris in Los Angeles on the same day that Harris was unsuccessfully trying to move her ad-buy to the same market.

Rather than disclosing the identity of its donors, the Voter Fund reported only that the funds came in transfers from its companion organization, PowerPAC.org. This under-the-table transaction conducted by an organization brought to life solely for the purpose of buying ads on behalf of Kamala Harris, is moving funds in and out of accounts to fund campaign ads while voters are left in the dark as to the source of this last-minute spending.

Both the Voter Fund, a 527 tax-exempt organization, and PowerPAC.org, a 501(c)(4) organization have been dormant entities. A January 2010 report showed that the VoterFund had a meager cash balance of just over $10,000 - and since then, it has reported no contributions of over $100. PowerPAC.org has been even less active, despite its stated purpose to "work year-round, and during each election cycle to direct financial and human resources to strategic local, state and national campaigns." The PowerPAC web site hasn't been updated since 2008, and the last electronic filing of the group was also in 2008.

But one week before the June 8 primary election, the group sprang to life with a singular purpose — to fund campaign activities on behalf of Kamala Harris, generating at least $140,000 to purchase ads, with no disclosure of its funders.

The Kelly campaign has asked the FPPC to launch an investigation immediately.

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