A whistle-blower complaint has been filed against a noted campaign finance lawyer and his nonprofit organization for diverting virtually all of the foundation’s money into the lawyer’s firm for his personal enrichment.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington today filed a compliant with the Internal Revenue Service against James Bopp Jr., the Bopp Law Firm, and the James Madison Center for Free Speech. View the complaint and supporting exhibits.  View CREW fact sheet.

James Bopp, Jr. founded the Bopp Law Firm to provide legal assistance to individuals, elected officials and political action committees navigating the fields of PAC law, campaign finance, election law First Amendment and constitutional law.

The James Madison Center for Free Speech’s purpose is to support litigation and public education activities in order to defend the rights of political expression and association by citizens and citizen groups.

CREW also filed complaints with the Indiana attorney general, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, the Indiana secretary of state, and the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

CREW claims Bopp diverted nearly all of the foundation’s funds to his own law firm in violation of prohibitions against using charitable organizations for private inurement and private benefit. View CREW press release.