A few days ago someone posted a link to an official campaign event being held by Senator Ted Cruz. The link was in relationship to the Super-PAC “Keep the Promise” setting up the entire event, promoting the event, paying for the event, and coordinating the campaign activity culminating in Ted Cruz giving a speech at the event.

Unfortunately, given the thousands of comments daily we can’t find the link.

Despite rather outdated FEC rules -which are supposed to block such coordination- Carly Fiorina ran her entire campaign almost exclusively through Super-PAC financing. We noted a few weeks ago that Senator Ted Cruz had shifted to a similar financial model as Fiorina.

Essentially both Fiorina, now Cruz, are pushing the boundaries on what is allowable in a post Citizens United campaign operation. While it is against federal campaign laws for Super-PACS to fund or coordinate with candidates’ campaigns, the rules are very ambiguous as to what constitutes “coordination“.

Most political observers have resigned themselves to see clarity only in the financial coordination aspect. Meaning it’s directly unlawful for a Super-PAC to give money to a campaign, but all other “in-kind-benefits” seem to float amid a rather grey area fraught with corruption.

However, that said, the Cruz Team may have officially crossed the tenuous legal threshold when their Keep the Promise Super-PAC coordinated an event, paid for 100% of the event, and then filmed the candidate at their event – turning over the footage for the official campaign to use in its campaign advertising.

Here’s a great article explaining:

[…] When confronted Wednesday morning on MSNBC about what evidence the Trump campaign had of this so-called illegal coordination, Trump’s Senior Campaign Advisor Barry Bennett said: “They (super PAC) set up an event — paid for by the super PAC, and he (Cruz) comes and gives a speech. It’s total coordination…they then film it and turn it into commercials.”

Okay, so let’s break this down. According to a 2011 FEC advisory opinion, Cruz is allowed to show up at super PAC-sponsored events. In fact, according to The Washington Post, the pro-Cruz super PAC Keep The Promise “has been effectively serving as an extension of Cruz’s official campaign, hosting major rallies for him from South Carolina to Utah.

The senator from Texas appears at the events as a ‘special guest.’” As we said, that is allowed. Nothing is illegal. In fact, the FEC website says: “The Act and Commission regulations state that federal candidates and officeholders may not solicit non-federal funds, but may attend, speak at, or be a featured guest at fundraising events where non-federal funds are being raised.”

However, where Cruz entered into some muddy water is the allegation that “(the super PAC) then filmed it and turn it into a commercial.” Under federal regulations, super PACs can’t exclusively videotape interviews with the candidate that they are promoting.

For example, Ted Cruz would be barred from scheduling a video shoot with a super PAC for an ad they plan to air in New York. That would be coordinating. So now, the interesting legal question for Cruz’s case, can the super PAC use footage and sound from Ted Cruz at one of their events in a campaign ad? He’s allowed to be at the event, but can they film it and then use it as an ad? Does that count as violating the rules? The answer is: we don’t know, it could be. (read more)

In order to determine whether or not the coordination broke FEC laws first a complaint has to be filed. Anyone can file a complain with the FEC on such matters. We are currently doing the research to determine if we have enough evidence to support such a filing.

In addition, the primary Super-PAC of Ted Cruz, Keep the Promise, is now managed / run by Kelly Anne Conway. Conway is trying to position KtP as a pro-Cruz Super-PAC and draw a distinction between being anti-Trump.

This nuanced political obfuscation is increasingly being used to create plausible deniability since the anti-Trump (GOPe) forces and Pro-Cruz (GOPe) forces have merged to try and destroy the candidacy of Donald Trump.

Senator Ted Cruz was never outside the “establishment”. Cruz was/is an establishment candidate no different from Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio. The Pro-Cruz sycophants are working earnestly to try and convince the electorate the only reason the Romney, Bush, McConnell and Paul Ryan clans are supporting Cruz is because he’s not Trump.

However, fundamentally this is “gaslighting”. Ted Cruz is a candidate the GOPe would be very happy with. Cruz’s positions are 100% establishment positions. The RNC and GOPe have no issue with Ted Cruz as the nominee of the Republican party.

We are now seeing Anti-Trump Super-PACS funding other Anti-Trump Super-PACS.