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Convicted thief sets up South Florida super PAC with Federal Election Commission’s OK

By Francisco Alvarado, FloridaBulldog.org unum

Four years after being convicted of stealing $35,000 worth of textbooks from Ohio State University’s law school library, Christopher Brian Valdes set up a super PAC this month in South Florida with the blessing of the Federal Election Commission.

Valdes, 28, of West Palm Beach, filed a “statement of organization” for Rescue Our Future with the FEC on Aug. 9 and listed himself as treasurer. The 28-year-old felon says he wants to use the political committee to raise unlimited amounts of money to help elect Jeb Bush president in 2016.

While convicted criminals may legally start and operate a super PAC, there’s no way for the public or prospective donors to know it if they do. The FEC, which regulates campaign finance, does not require PAC officials to disclose their criminal history.

Last month, FEC Chairwoman Ann M. Ravel issued an unusual public warning about the rise of what she called “scam PACs” – fundraising groups run by con artists who prey on small donors unhappy with their elected officials.

“It is assumed the money raised will go to help elect or defeat a candidate. In reality, the money raised largely gets funneled into the pockets of the political operatives who set up these organizations,” she wrote in in a July 13 commentary published by Roll Call.

Valdes did not want to discuss his crime in detail with FloridaBulldog.org. “It was bad decision that is in the past,” he said. “I have moved forward.”

He said in an interview, however, that he wants to raise money to pay for mailers and radio ads touting the former Florida governor.

“Even if Bush gets on the Republican ticket, it is not a sure fire thing that he will win Florida in 2016 just because he is a former governor,” Valdes said. “The state has voted for a Democrat in the last two presidential elections. I believe Rescue Our Future can do a lot to help him.”

Valdes said he is not affiliated with the Bush campaign and is going to campaign for Bush on his own. Whether the campaign wants a convicted thief trolling for dollars on Bush’s behalf remains unclear. Bush’s press office did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

According to a Sept. 6, 2011 story in the Columbus Dispatch, authorities accused Valdes of pilfering more than 200 books that he then advertised for sale online between November 2009 and October 2010. At the time, Valdes was a student of the Moritz College of Law.

Campus police initiated an investigation after receiving an e-mail from a Brazilian lawyer who had bought a volume online and found a crossed-out Ohio State University ink stamp on its inside front cover, according to court documents. Investigators arrested Valdes after setting up a sting involving a hidden camera and a marked book.

To avoid prison, Valdes agreed to plead guilty to a felony. He was placed on five years probation and ordered to pay $34,600 in restitution for books he sold online. Valdes also agreed that he “will not have or pursue employment or education in the field of law,” according to the details of his guilty plea in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

Valdes claims he has completed his probation and that his voting rights were recently restored. “I have not gotten into any trouble since then,” he said. “And there is nothing on my record before that. It was an unfortunate incident that I’ve put behind me.”

FEC Commissioner Ravel could not be reached for comment. But in her commentary last month she said her agency is powerless to stop “scam artists” intent on ripping off donors.

“The FEC has, for many years, unanimously approved recommendations to Congress that would have taken small steps toward addressing scam PAC activity,” Ravel wrote. “After all, a role of the FEC is to protect consumers, the American voting public, from those who don’t use money contributed to campaigns for proper purposes.

She added: “Unless Congress takes action and gives the FEC the tools to regulate scam PACS, we can expect this problem to grow.”

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