PROVIDENCE – A second investigation could possibly occur involving another Democratic candidate who is seeking the open 1st Congressional District seat in the U.S. House.
Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos’ campaign on Friday has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Federal Elections Commission calling on the commission to investigate both the activity of Progress Rhode Island, a super political action committee funded by Aaron Regunberg’s father in-law and mother, and evidence of Regunberg’s potential illegal coordination with Progress Rhode Island.
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According to the five-page complaint, filed by Brexton Isaacs, Matos’ campaign manager, alleges that Progress Rhode Island received two reported contributions from Erica Preiss Regunberg and James Cielinski on June 13 and June 15, respectively, totaling $130,000. Cielinski alone contributed $125,000, which, according to the complaint, is greater than the $5,000 limit a candidate or campaign can solicit on behalf of a super PAC.
Isaacs’ complaint also alleges Regunberg’s family “knew the intentions of the Super PAC before they made their contributions.” The complaint also alleges that Regunberg’s campaign set up a “red box” on Regunberg’s campaign website that was only public between July 19 through July 27. A red box is an illegal tactic where campaigns show on their websites messaging to coordinate with their PACs on what they should use in advertising in support of specific candidates.
The “red box” issue was first raised by Matos during Thursday’s Democratic congressional debate at Roger Williams University. Matos asked Regunberg if he ever had a red box on his website and Regunberg denied it.
A “new red box” was posted from July 27 through Aug. 5 on Regunberg’s website using a link behind the word “overview,” the complaint states.
“This activity indicates that neither version of these two pages were intended for public consumption, but rather was specifically created for certain people or entities to view on a very specific timeframe, which appears to meet the FEC’s definition of ‘coordination,’ ” according to Isaacs’ complaint.
“Aaron Regunberg is getting himself in incredibly hot water by falsely claiming his campaign never had a “red box” that signaled messaging and photos to his family’s Super PAC. It’s just not true – and voters deserve to know the truth,” Isaacs said in a statement. “Regunberg’s deception stands in stark contrast to Lt. Governor Sabina Matos’ 12-year record and experience in public office delivering for the people of Rhode Island on critical issues like reproductive freedom and gun safety.”
Matos’ campaign did not immediately respond Friday to questions from Providence Business News as to what formally led the campaign to file this complaint and what the campaign is seeking with this complaint – including if Matos seeking for Regunberg to be disqualified from the race.
Regunberg campaign spokesperson Matt DaSilva said in a statement to PBN called the allegations against Regunberg a “a ridiculous and unserious attack from a desperate candidate whose campaign has been dogged by ethical questions and is currently under criminal investigation.” Matos’ campaign is still under investigation by both the R.I. attorney general’s office and the R.I. Board of Elections over alleged fraudulent signatures submitted by the campaign.
Common Cause Rhode Island Executive Director John Marion told PBN on Friday that families creating super PACs is “not without precedent,” noting that other congressional candidates within the last decade have formed similar super PACs. He also said fights over coordination are common in federal elections because there is a lot of outside spending by “sophisticated D.C.-based groups.”
“It’s just unusual here [in Rhode Island] because we typically don’t have competitive federal elections,” Marion said.
DaSilav also punched back at Matos, claiming saying that her website has a “clear red box,” referencing the “Overview” page on the site. Matos, DaSilva said, has been communicating with the Super PACs supporting her, with Twitter messages “literally spelling out target voter universes in clear violation of the spirit of noncoordination laws.”
PBN obtained from Regunberg’s campaign copies of mailers from Washington, D.C.-based CHC Bold PAC supporting Matos specifically noting her push for gun laws. Regunberg’s campaign claims the language in the mailer mirrors to what’s posted on the “overview” page that the camp claims is Matos’ “red box” site.
DaSilva said Regunberg’s website has had “numerous pages” live over the course of his campaign “sharing our message of taking on corporate power and fighting to build an economy that works for everyone.” He also said Regunberg’s campaign is “proud” to not be accepting corporate PAC or corporate lobbyist money.
Matos’ campaign did not immediately respond to PBN Friday about the red box claims being made against the lieutenant governor by the Regunberg camp.
(UPDATE: Added 11th and 12th paragraphs to include comment from Common Cause Rhode Island Executive Director John Marion.)
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
