FEC issues two advisory opinions

WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission today issued two advisory opinions.

 Advisory Opinion Request 2017-10 (Citizens Against Plutocracy). At its open meeting today, the Commission approved an advisory opinion as modified at the table, concluding that the independent expenditure-only committee’s proposal to ask candidates to sign a “Contract for American Renewal” and to use the signed Contracts in emails from the requestor to supporters or to place them on the requestor’s website would not constitute a coordinated communication with candidates under Commission regulations. During the discussion, the Commission heard from the requestor.

 Advisory Opinion Request 2017-05 (Great America PAC and The Committee to Defend the President). Prior to the open meeting, the Commission approved an advisory opinion in response to a request from two non-connected political committees. The Commission concluded that Great America PAC may use its Twitter handle in lieu of its full name in disclaimers, and that The Committee to Defend the President may include its Twitter handle along with its full name as long as the disclaimer’s language makes clear that the committee is paying for the communication, but that neither committee may use Twitter handles as an alternative to their permanent street address, telephone number, or World Wide Web address. The Commission could not approve a response by the required four affirmative votes regarding whether the committees’ Twitter profile pages must include disclaimers.