Today the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (MNCFPDB) released its findings of the investigation into ALEC, based on a 2012 complaint.
Beginning in 2011, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) became a significant target for liberals due to its role in pushing certain legislative agendas — such as stricter Voter ID laws and “stand your ground” laws. The Center for Media and Democracy created a website to catalogue ALEC’s efforts to promote ALEC’s legislative positions. In 2012, Common Cause filed a whistleblower complaint with the IRS, and also filed a complaint here in Minnesota with the MNCFPDB.
The MNCFPDB found that:
Even though ALEC’s primary purpose is to promote “free market” principles, which it does in part through producing model legislation and other activities that could be construed as lobbying, it conducts its activities on a national scale and it does not have a specific Minnesota connection. Since it does not have a Minnesota connection, and based on the definitions of lobbyist and lobbyist principal that are found in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 10A, the MNCFPDB found that neither ALEC, nor a specified staff person, met the expenditure levels necessary to fall under the regulation of the MNCFPDB for lobbying activities.
For more information, please see the Findings issued by the MNCFPDB.