Um hi everybody I'm so I'm megan hess and CLC z digital manager uh in brendan fischer the director of the federal reform program, um and we wanted to take this opportunity today to talk about um, a company and enter the that's been in the news a lot um and we've been taking a lot of action around um which is Cambridge analytic up um I've been seeing this name in the headlines and wondering who is this group for today about um so we figured. We would try to tackle that today um so, if you have questions Uh during the course of the facebook live, um feel free to drop a comment. Um and we'll do our best to answer it. Um if we, if we know the answer is um because they're pretty mister is um so this is service through like the general um who care so um and we've been hearing a lot of his company for general attica and you can follow their antics for a while now and this is not a new name for you brendan um So who's camper general attica and what they do, church also came to analytical, is it data firm that has working your selections over the past two years and there's a city area. You can company called Co and keeper general indica was started with the 15 million dollar investment from a wealthy American Robert mercer and Robert mercer has also emerged as a leading funder of us elections in recent years uh camera generally this board includes Robert research and put his daughter rebecca and it has awesome food See the band where the many people probably familiar with um, but I think the big thing to know if I came general police for my campaign, finance law perspective. This is that this is a this is a mercer operation. If rubber mercer was wanting to Super pack, you can be pretty sure that that Super pac is going to be contracting with can protect America and if rubber mercer was backing your candidate, you can also be pretty sure that that candidate is going to be using paper general attica. It appears that the use of Cambridge analytical was either applied or express condition of mercers support for a Today and even setting aside the concerns about general because potential stealing or misuse of data, uh, there are strong indications that Cambridge analytical has been used both in the us and the uk. As a conduit, unlock, we link that candidate of the verses of supporting with the Super pack set the research have been funday okay so what we'll get in to some of the details of what actually been doing the food the key here to know is here can virgin with eca, you should really be thinking It's it's Robert mercers is one guy and the things that he wants to do. Um with his money and his actions. Yes, yes, yes anniversary rubber versus a lot of money he has particular views about the way and if you want the world to be with the way you want the us political system to operate and Cambridge analytic is one of the means by which uses his vast wealth to make us political views of reality coming so this is one guy right around a lot of power. yes And so much okay, so you, your work for can be legal centre, foot focuses on watch. Dogging potential violations of campaign, finance law, um so in that room how did you first become aware, can cater general attica sure. So we can wear comfortable to come the 20 16 elections so with uh one of the Robert research funded Super pacs and Super pacs and candidates are supposed to operate independently of one another and campaign finance laws for Even coordination between Super pacs and candidates back in 20 16, we saw this very close relationship between your back Super pack in the trump campaign of the mercer Super pack. It's called make America number one. You also win by the name defeat crooked Hillary. He was primarily funded by Robert mercer shared and run by his daughter rebecca mercer uh and we know that the we know that the mercers requested that the from campaign hire Steve bennett, as the trump campaign studio and trump will be we know what the versus have set the trump campaign, hire Cambridge, America and they Get so uh so we're in a situation where the ceo of the trump campaign steep in was we're having on the board of chamber. General erika and was also to see all the trump campaign which was I'm sorry I'll start. This circus over him than leadership rolling papers analytic up was also the ceo of the trump campaign, Robert mercer own camera general attica and was also funding a Super pac supporting trump in contracting with camper general so this creative situation where camper general attica, whether potential conduit for sharing strategic information from the trump campaign Me, too, the mercer bath Super pack and that would be illegal. That would result in coordinating communications which would result in in kind contributions from the Super pac to the trump campaign in which would render the Super pack unlawful um. Because to perfect, say that there not to make any contributions whatsoever um but then in recent months, we have more evidence of the potential use of camera general. It has a conduit for the sharing of information between the campaigns that the mercer family have supported and the Super pass at the mercer family is wondering is it to just leaving things out of it for just a second just to clarify that so in 20 16 at least we re side there's, the trump campaign which is wanted today and they have the mercers Super packs which is another and came general income working with both hmm and so there's. This link and that um opens the door to a lot of potential conflict between that they out of the preaching of the Wall that system Exist between the chance supporting campaign for the campaign and the chance supporting Super Marshall. Superman okay. Thank you is what it could look at all. Yes so you saying that happens. A different time as well. Uh yes. Well in in more than one more than one contacts so Christopher wiley was a the head of research at Cambridge analytic up recently became whistleblower fucking your time start the guardian just just to testified this week before you get parliament and he described how can general because parent company was used as a conduit in case brexit both to connect a number of different organ Missions in order to evade that could be campaign finance laws. Um so we have an example in the uk of general continues to coordinate the number of different political entities and then yesterday we found another key piece of evidence. Um so this actually goes back to 20 14 when cable general Co was working for time. Tell us is us to the campaign and the John bolton Super pac and the John bolton Super pac was a commercial supporting Super pac that was spending that spent one point three million Supporting tell us is Senate lucky. 20 14 so another situation where yeah the tillis campaign the North Carolina Republican party contracting with general cut and you have the mercers Super pac also contract with general cable. General. It has becoming becoming think between these. These supposed to be independent entities um and even though, came general because claim that that they were able to establish fire walls making sure that came to the camera general staffers working for the campaign and the party where Different than the cable general staffers who are working for the supposedly independent Super pac. We found a online portfolio for a camera general staff or he describes how he work helping time tell us is successful. Senatorial campaign create highly targeted advertising hmm are other cases that he worked for the North killing Republican party, which was legally allowed to work with the teles campaign, but the example of the work that this camera general staff are headed for the work that he extensively did for the tools can Game was a John bolton Super pac and uh and that pretty creates the impression that Cambridge analytic, uh at unlawful use information derive from its work for the North. Carolina Republican party and the tools campaign and used it to develop John bolton Super pac ads, supporting tell us um and that to give rise to more data communications which would be a Michael okay so three different examples to different Entries um but basically, the principal here is the same with all these potential violations switches ass. There entities that are within political campaigns, an outside of political campaigns and they are poster and a totally separate, but there's humor general erika is in the Middle of working with both an evidence that there that that Wall doesn't exist. Yes, yes, okay and Super pacs and Super pacs can accept unlimited contributions. Candidates can only accept contributions of up to 27 dollars for election if Super pacs are allowed to work directly with candidates If they're allowed to use information or to candidates are allowed to share information to Super pac about how to make their communication is the most effective than the contribution limits are render ineffective. Presents wealthy donors like the mercers, an easy way to leave a the 20 700 dollar contribution limit, which is on the books to prevent corruption and undue and doing for it. Yes, I think that's important point day ever home and we actually got a question about that. Valley okay so these Super packs and Kim Pains are supposed to be separate, but why what um some of the reason that I said. I mean. I think it the short the short answer is the reason that Super pacs are allowed to exist. The reason it Super packs can accept unlimited contributions from wealthy individuals and corporations is under the assumption that they are independent, that they are making independent expenditures, spending money independently of candidates expressing their own political views um it's Super pac is acting under the direction of a candidate or they're making extended church in coordination with the candidate work, political party than that spending of independent Hi it's actually a break value to the campaign and therefore the one million dollar contribution from Robert mercer to a Super pac or name directly with campaign is as effective and poses as much risk of corruption as a one million dollar contribution directly to the campaign to this contribution, limits in allowed to give more than two thousand 700 dollars to uh Super election two campaign but if you can give a million dollars to a Super pac, is basically part of the campaign that actually means that Yes, exactly as you put um so this is election itickets and on the parking agility again, then all these other um names that were throwing around um what whose supposed to do something here, oh no, because well so we file a complete uh involving the trump campaign, make America number one with the federal election Commission with maxi. We also today finding another complain with you see uh about the John bolton Super pacs, unlawful support for the tools campaign the 20 14 elections now so at this point the responsibility rests with the two enforce the laws that are on the books. This is the situation where we have Was that are supposed to prevent coordination between campaigns and Super pacs. Uh the problem is that the agency has been lax in enforcing these laws. Um it is result you've seen Super pacs and candidates working that were close together. You seem political operators and Super pacs growing increasingly aggressive pushing illegal below with the understanding that it's very unlikely that the proceeds go to do anything about it um so, if we want to uh want to actually see Super pacs acting independently of campaigns and we need effective the Okay so we have laws, laws exist. They're on the books, it's just a couple of the is is not doing its job. Yeah. If, in this particular instance on this in this particular area of coordination between two protecting campaign to if you have laws on the books uh it's just a laws and unforeseen is that the city is the falling down the job and I mean this point is a the sixth the happy season. Six member Commission now down to four members uh, which means that they would require unanimity to do a Anything before with investigation to see penalties, um the complaint we filed against make America number one of the trump campaign was styled in 20 16 we're getting up to two years now still open. So pending we don't know whether the everything is going to take actually okay um is the only thing that we've seen from cable general. They couldn't save her they've been in the news for other reasons, as well yeah. We live. It to a little bit um related to facebook yeah broadcasting live amanda upset. This is tell me a little bit more about that yeah what's up The big reason that keep general has been in the news is because of evidence that they unlawful the capture the data of over 15 50 million facebook users and make use about in elections and over two elections. There also been undercover reporters or got channel four news that recorded Cambridge analytical leadership talking open me violating laws and filing up floors and our twin elections keeper general medical beers talk by using brides and using prostitute to taking opposing candidates um Me and then of course I mean with respect what we're describing earlier paper general because willing to use drives and honey traps in order to elections. But we really can we really expect they would've about in my fire walls separating work for us put campaigns and Super pacs um. But I think one you know 11 piece that's important to to know, with all this is what came for general use. This store data for um in in large part. They used it to micro Means that they think would be most most persuasive, to those individuals. Um and because of the the evolution of critical spending online. Uh. We have we have significant gap in our laws and regulations when it comes to digital digital people standing um so make your Park. It adds a touch of the taste of make a targeted as a capability for runs, are only viewable by the individuals doing there are gonna do not more widely widely available so that creates a potential situation We're a candidate working with him general or another digital consulting for can be seen. One thing to one set of voters and something else to an entirely different set of owners. Um you can delete it was also quite hoping. I'm using fear and emotion and it's gonna is messaging uh which makes it harder to hold candidates accountable for the messages that they're putting out the different voters because public can't see them yeah. I think I think anyone who's who slip through election shave a swing state. You know is used to sing ads cut was in fear and emotion in that scene as it to For the course, these days, but there's, a difference here in terms of what the regulations are. Um for presence, television or radio and what, as you can see, online 20 have exact same content. But there's, a differences yeah well, I think, from, for one thing and in terms of the search for me to use a fear and emotion to and election there's, nothing feel um, but when, when a candidate or what click the community is going to use the your baby promotional appeals there's at least everything to hold them accountable for it um. I think the willie horton ad from because in 19 eighty eight election is a very good example that we're the first George Bush Use these uh new exploited people's fears of pride and 20 people racial fears in order to win elections. But because that was public, the voters could that it could police be a public debate around the issues they could at least be some some means of holding that. That can't be accountable for these be your based raise, stating messages and when, as a secret when they're only targeted to the weather only viewable by the individuals doing their targeted, you lose that opportunity for The sort public debate or any sort of public discussion, um because here can be a very motivating factor elections. Uh the, the secrecy that difficult ads. Allow creates incentives to use to use fear based messages in order to win elections. But because there's no accountability, you can't you can't. I can't call tender because it's all transparency can hold candidates accountable for those messages um but to the other point. Yes, um a. This run on No vision or on radio needs, including the scream or political and try television radio, need to put a disclaimer statement paid for it, subject to reporting requirements. The advertiser may have to file a report with the fec stating how much they spent on the other supposed to say who give the money to fund that adam the exact same every running facebook escape, many of those transparency reports yeah and that means that the uh there are significant transparency loopholes when it comes to digital ads and the digital and transparency new polls that rush exploited in 20 16 are very similar to the loopholes that Candle it also exploited okay so is two different levels of a problem here in new complications with with having played lads here's, one is that they are very individually targeted. I think a lot of people are familiar with the fact. If you go, if you're shopping for something online and you don't buy it you'll have a specific and with my follow, you around the Internet and you know that that's tired just to you so you can do something similar. Maybe not exactly that specific but you can do something. you Good you something max's epic online with a political as well knowing this message will get this person to have a second motion. Okay so that yeah you read the back, but that does bring up a lot of complicated factors. Um but then, of course, there's. No transparency who is who follow you around the Internet with that you know there's, no transparency but you got themselves and there's no transparency about the advertisers and where the money came from um and that is something that the stand It's what into crafting understands act with bring it digital and on the same level of transparency as broadcast ads newspaper ads would make sure that has that mention candidates are subject to the reporting requirement to require that political ads. When running line and include a disclaimer stating to pay for them and we also create a public and file requirement and then I requiring the facebook and twitter and Google and other large Internet providers. Our other Washington platforms make a copy of political ads publicly available along with some information about the paper to that says, act Um it's bill it's ability, just wasn't senator uh. It has my first and support been introduced in both chambers of Congress, but has yet to receive hearing so that I get a first actress yes protecting the 20 eighteen election for percent of influence yeah 22 election is coming up coming very soon the same voter abilities that rush of exploded in 20 16 that keepers analytical, explaining 20 16 remain wide open for exploitation again high 20 eighteen again unless reduce the most re max, something like that okay um well, I wanna thank Buddy for tuning in and for joining us, um and um, we will obviously continue to follow kimber down little cut and all these other um as these excellence, um and um continue our washougal work. Thank you