If you've followed this blog you know that we've been hounding the American Issues Project--a shadowy group that seems to have no other purpose than to attack Senator Barack Obama with unsubstantiated smears. No issue agenda. No record or history of advocacy work.

Today the group Democracy 21 filed a complaint with the FEC naming American Issues Project (and a Democratic group). The complaint alleges that AIP should be regulated as a "political committee" and subject to contribution limits and disclosure requirements.

Central to Democracy 21's complaint is the fact that AIP has no record or history of non-political advocacy work. They write on their website:

“AIP’s $2.86 million expenditure in August 2008 on an ‘express
advocacy’ ad means that AIP must demonstrate it spent at least more
than $2.86 million during 2008 on activities that are not campaign
related in order to establish that its ‘major purpose’ is not to
influence federal elections, “ according to Wertheimer.

To date it is hard to find what other activity AIP has engaged in give them $2.86 million of non-political spending. We'll keep an eye on this. Check out the following for more reading.

Read more about the complaint from Democracy 21 >>

Report on WashingtonPost.com about the complaint >>

Report from the Associated Press >>