Pepsi, Coca-Cola and other big beverage companies donating millions to the campaign against a soda tax ballot initiative in San Francisco are illegally hiding their contributions in a PAC, charged advocates for the tax in a complaint filed Thursday with the Fair Political Practices Commission. The FPPC dismissed the complaint the same day.
The “Yes on E” campaign, which is pushing for a 2 cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in San Francisco, had argued that since Pepsi gave $2.8 million and Coca-Cola gave $3.8 million to anti-soda tax committees, they should be listed as major contributors on campaign mailers and in TV ads even though the donations were made through the American Beverage Association California PAC.
“It’s sort of using these shell organizations to avoid having to say, ‘Hi, we’re Coke and Pepsi!’” said Maureen a political consultant running the Yes on E campaign. Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the No campaigns, described the complaint as frivolous. “The Yes on E campaign is desperate for press attention,” he said in an email, adding: “ We have been beyond transparent in this effort.” The Yes on E complaint is here: http://politico.pro/1xewd5u . The FPPC’s dismissal is here: http://politico.pro/1wnL8Lw
Source: www.politico.com