“Center for Voter Information” Spreads Misinformation in Maine’s CD2

Maine voters in the Second Congressional District received campaign mailers this week from the Center for Voter Information (CVI), a 501(c)4 nonprofit group that claims to promote nonpartisan voter education.

However, a deeper look into CVI’s materials reveals that the mailers are thinly disguised political advocacy for incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Jared Golden with claims that bear little resemblance to the truth.

The official-looking mailers, which were sent to Mainers in the middle of a tight race between Golden and Republican State Rep. Austin Theriault, accuse Theriault of wanting to offshore jobs, discourage small business investment, and weaken gun restrictions.

While CVI presents itself as nonpartisan, it has strong connections to major progressive donors and organizations that support Democratic candidates. Founded by Democratic strategist Page Gardner, CVI operates as a 501(c)(4) and is allowed to engage in limited political advocacy.

Its funding, to the extent its financial backers have been disclosed or uncovered, comes from left-leaning sources such as the Tides Foundation, Sierra Club, and League of Conservation Voters, along with financial support from progressive donors like Mind the Gap and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

That CVI’s “educational” efforts are actually pro-Democrat advocacy becomes evident when you examine the sources for their claims about Theriault and Golden’s position on small business, firearms, and manufacturing.

The recent mailers cover three topics: 1) investing federal funds in American manufacturing, 2) restricting gun access for domestic abusers and the mentally ill, and 3) helping small businesses grow.

According to CVI, Theriault’s position is “No” on all these issues, while Golden’s is “Yes.”

CVI cites two social media posts from Theriault, including one criticizing the Inflation Reduction Act, as evidence that he opposes investment in American manufacturing jobs and small businesses.

In the post, Theriault argued that the IRA’s subsidies for green energy projects benefited foreign companies, particularly Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturers, rather than American manufacturing.

On gun control, the mailers use Golden’s support for the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” — and Theriault’s criticism of that bill — as evidence that only Golden wants to keep firearms out of the hands of domestic abusers and the severely mentally ill.

In context, however, Theriault’s tweet was a response to gun restrictions Gov. Janet Mills (D) had just proposed in her annual State of the State address.

Theriault stated that he opposes limits on law-abiding gun owners while supporting mental health reform instead. CVI’s interpretation, however, takes extraordinary liberty with the underlying source material — the kind of liberties that a political campaign consultant might take, but not the kind a purely educational concern would support.

The Center for Voter Misinformation

Contrary to its name and purported purpose, CVI is better known for causing confusion during elections and spreading misinformation for the benefit of left-leaning candidates.

In 2020, CVI faced criticism after sending 500,000 absentee ballot applications with incorrect return addresses, resulting in confusion for Virginia voters.

CVI’s efforts in 2020 were so counter-productive that even the left-wing Pro Publica published a story with the headline, “A Nonprofit With Ties to Democrats Is Sending Out Millions of Ballot Applications. Election Officials Wish It Would Stop.“

The mailers surfacing in Maine are similar to mailers that have been delivered in tight congressional races across the country, all of which are thinly disguised attacks on Republicans.

In a video posted to X Monday night, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) called CVI’s mailers a “massive coordinated voter suppression effort” and alleged that the endeavor was funded by a left-wing super PAC.

Although the mailers do not disclose any ties to existing super PACs, as would be required by Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules, CVI and its operators have deep ties to well-funded left-wing groups and donors.

Founded by Democratic strategist Page Gardner and led by Tom Lopach, both of whom have Democratic ties, CVI’s funding largely comes from progressive-leaning groups, including the Tides Foundation, League of Conservation Voters, and the environmental organization Sierra Club, according to Influence Watch.

CVI also receives support from Mind the Gap, a Silicon Valley network of progressive donors, and contributions from high-profile philanthropists like MacKenzie Scott, who aim to expand voter access and counter voter suppression, especially in areas with restrictive voting laws.

In a comment to the Maine Wire, Preya Samsundar, a spokeswoman for the Theriault campaign, called on Golden to denounce the misleading mailers, adding that the CVI effort was a sign of desperation.

“DC politician Jared Golden and his DC allies have truly hit rock bottom in their months-long deceptive false smear campaign against Austin Theriault,” Samsundar said.

“Now they’re engaged in a national effort to suppress Republican voters,” she said. “Jared should denounce these disgusting mailers. It’s clear that he and his team are getting truly desperate and will do anything to hold onto power.”