Campaign Legal Center Files Straw Donor Complaint on Christie-Supporting PAC

WASHINGTON — A Texas-based entity called SHBT LLC violated federal campaign finance laws by hiding the true source of a $1 million contribution to Tell It Like It Is, a super PAC supporting the 2024 presidential bid of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a campaign watchdog claims.

In a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, the Campaign Legal Center claims the alleged unlawful donation occurred on June 20.

The nonprofit, which routinely presses for strong enforcement of campaign finance laws, says the contribution was the largest to date to be received by the Tell It Like It Is PAC and represents about 17% of the $5.88 million it has raised to date.

The Federal Election Campaign Act prohibits “straw donor” contributions, which mislead the public about the true sources of election spending and deprive voters of accurate information regarding who is spending money to influence their votes. 

“Straw donor schemes like SHBT LLC undermine transparency in our elections and risk undermining voter confidence in our political system,” said Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at Campaign Legal Center, in a written statement. 

“Voters have a right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and this transparency is particularly crucial at a time when super PACs routinely spend millions of dollars on elections — often paid for with contributions from a small number of wealthy individuals and special interests,” Ghosh said.

The Well News attempted to reach William Palatucci and Jeffrey Chiesa, honorary co-chairs of the Tell It Like It Is PAC via email to no avail.

Palatucci, the Republican National Committeeman from New Jersey, is a partner in the law firm of McCarter & English LLP.

Former New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa served as Christie’s chief legal counsel after the governor’s election in 2009, and also served as the U.S. senator from New Jersey from June to October 2013, following the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg. 

Chiesa is currently a partner and executive committee member of the law firm Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC. 

The Well News also reached out to Christie’s presidential campaign, but did not receive a response to the Campaign Legal Center’s complaint.

According to the complaint, publicly available information indicates that SHBT LLC could not have made a $1 million political contribution without money being provided to it for that specific purpose. 

“The LLC appears to have been used solely to purchase and hold a small portfolio of undeveloped real estate, with a collective total value of just $7,002,” the watchdog said. 

The complaint goes on to assert that there is no evidence that SHBT LLC sold any of these properties or engaged in any other income-generating activity, and even if the LLC had sold the properties, their collective value of $7,002 would have been nowhere near enough for the LLC to make a seven-figure political contribution. 

Therefore, the Campaign Legal Center says, it is virtually impossible that SHBT LLC was the true source of the million-dollar contribution made in its name to Tell PAC. 

This isn’t the first complaint the center has filed over straw dog contributions this year.

Earlier this summer it alerted the FEC to a $500,000 contribution received by SOS America PAC, a super PAC supporting the presidential campaign of Republican Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

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