Sanders campaign hit with complaint over illegal alien staffers

Earlier this month I wrote about the new Bernie Sanders campaign’s spokesperson, an illegal alien protected under DACA. Maria Belen Sisa is the campaign’s deputy national spokeswoman. Now a complaint has been filed against Sanders claiming the campaign has violated federal election law. Belen Sisa isn’t the only illegal alien on the payroll. There are now three rather high profile staffers working for Bernie’s campaign.

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The Coolidge Reagan Foundation filed a complaint with the FEC against the campaign employing three foreign nationals, allegedly a violation of federal election law. The foundation claims the hiring of foreign nationals may be considered foreign intervention in the election. FEC rules prohibit foreign nationals without permanent resident status from directly or indirectly participating in political campaigns or making political contributions.

“Senator Sanders and Bernie 2020 is permitting a foreign national, Ms. Sisa, to serve in an advisory position which allows her to directly or indirectly participate in the decision-making process of persons with regard to election-related activities in violation of FEC regulations,” the complaint reads.

If you are unfamiliar with the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, as I am, it can be noted that the foundation recently filed an FEC complaint against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claiming she may have illegally funneled money through her PAC to her boyfriend. From the website: “The Coolidge Reagan Foundation’s mission is to defend, protect, and advance liberty, and particularly the principles of free speech enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.” What’s not to like about that?

So, Ms. Belen Sisa is not the lone illegal alien in Bernie’s inner campaign circle. All three of the named foreign nationals in the complaint were active in his 2016 campaign.

The complaint also names two other foreign nationals on the Sanders’ 2016 campaign, immigration activists Erika Andiola and Cesar Vargas, who worked as the campaign’s national Latino outreach strategist and press secretary for Latino outreach, respectively.

“Due to the high profile of Cesar Vargas, Erika Andiola, and Maria Belén Sisa as leading activists in the undocumented community, there is reason to believe that respondents are ‘foreign nationals’ within the meaning of 52 U.S.C. § 301219b)(2), and in violation of 11 C.F.R. § 110.20 (i) and A.O. 2004-26, directly or indirectly participated in the decision-making process of persons with regard to the election-related activities of Bernie 2016,” the complaint continued.

“There is reason to believe, having previously employed Ms. Sisa, that Bernie 2020 is currently, and knowingly, permitting a ‘foreign national’ … to directly or indirectly participate in the decision-making process of persons with regard to the election-related activities of Bernie 2020.”

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Mr. Vargas is “living the American dream” as New York’s first “undocumented lawyer”. (Undocumented sounds so much nicer than illegal, doesn’t it?)

The struggle paid off. Vargas made his mother proud by becoming the first lawyer in the family. In February of 2016, after battling for almost five years – during which he even filed a lawsuit to obtain his attorney’s license to practice his profession after graduating college and passing the New York bar exam – Vargas obtained his license, becoming the first undocumented person to carry one in the state. “When I saw my diploma,” reflects Vargas, “I realized I was living the American dream.”

The lawyer now works with community organizations in Staten Island County in New York to protect immigrant rights and help them become legalized. “I was one of those children that came [to the United States] crossing the border,” highlights Vargas, who is still undocumented. He also represents younger children who entered the United States illegally fleeing from the violence in Central America. “Now I’m going to be the lawyer who represents them so they can achieve their dreams.”

How nice for him. Nevermind that somewhere out there is an American citizen who was denied a spot in that law school because of Mr. Vargas.

Freedom from Fear Award winner, Erika Andiola is a part of the DREAM Army in Arizona. She was part of Sanders’ Latino outreach program in 2016.

She got involved with Promise Arizona, a grassroots civic engagement organization with a mission to recruit, train and support a new generation of leaders from across the state and register Latinos to vote. She also dedicated herself to championing the DREAM Act. She spent countless hours camped in front of Senator John McCain’s Phoenix office in the summer heat with the “DREAM Army,” supporters who worked tirelessly to educate elected officials on the Act. She knew she might be arrested, and eventually, she was.

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Meanwhile, the complaint filed by the Coolidge Reagan Foundation calls for sanctions for “any and all violations”.

“The Commission should determine and impose appropriate sanctions for any and all violations,” the complaint read. “Further, the Commission should enjoin respondents from any future violations and impose any necessary and appropriate remedies to ensure respondents’ future compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act.”

The Sanders campaign’s response? Trump’s a racist. Because, of course.

Sanders’ campaign manager Faiz Shakir told The Daily Caller that Sanders plans to continue to fight for permanent protections for DACA recipients while also accusing President Donald Trump of racism.

“Unlike the Trump administration, President Sanders will not only act to protect DACA recipients and their community, he will ensure this campaign seeks out their voices and treats them with respect,” Shakit said. “Now more than ever, we need leadership that brings us together and stands up to Trump’s racist and bigoted attempts to divide us up.”

So much for the trope that illegal aliens are afraid and hiding in the shadows of society. The arrogance and entitlement continuing, with the help of their friends in high places.

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David Strom 10:00 PM | November 14, 2024
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