A union-financed advocacy group that played a major role in the 2004 elections has agreed to pay a $580,000 fine after the Federal Election Commission concluded it illegally ran advertising against President Bush and in favor of Democrat John Kerry.
The FEC said the now inactive Media Fund spent $53.4 million during the contest on television, radio and newspaper ads and direct mail that made reference to Bush or Kerry. The FEC said the fund violated campaign finance laws because it accepted unlimited donations from labor unions and expressly advocated the defeat or victory of a political candidate.
The Media Fund was formed in 2003 as part of a broad effort by liberal and union-related activists to confront Republican voter mobilization efforts and defeat Bush. In August, another group allied with Democrats, America Coming Together, agreed to pay a $775,000 fine.