Washington, DC – Despite recent action from the FEC that is an aggressive move to impugn the First Amendment (free speech) rights of citizens, the Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth settled a dispute concerning an FEC allegation that it and other 527 organizations should have registered as political committees in 2004. The FEC action includes the Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth and other 527 organizations including MoveOn.org and the League of Conservation Voters. The agreement also requires that the Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth file with the FEC its Internal Revenue Service reports that have been publicly available since 2004 along with a 2-page FEC summary.

In the settlement agreement the FEC made it abundantly clear that Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth were operating in good faith based on its understanding of the law at the time. In addition, the FEC voted to take no action against any individual members of the group. The Swift Boat Veterans agreed to settle this dispute without any finding of probable cause that the group violated the Federal Election Campaign Act or the McCain-Feingold amendments to it. The Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth raised more than $25 million in the 2004 election cycle and has agreed to pay a fine of just under $300,000 (roughly 1% of the amount it raised) to settle the matter.

The agreement signed by the FEC and Swift Boat Veterans states: "Following an investigation, the Commission concluded that SwiftVets did not unlawfully coordinate its activities with, or make excessive in-kind contributions to, any federal candidate or political party committee...

"The Commission has never alleged that the SwiftVets acted in knowing defiance of the law, or with the conscious recognition that their actions were prohibited by law, made no findings or conclusions that there were any knowing and willful violations of the law in connection with this matter, and, thus, does not challenge SwiftVets' assertion of its good faith reliance on its understanding of the law.

"Solely for the purpose of settling this matter expeditiously and avoiding litigation, without admission with respect to any other proceeding, and with no finding of probable cause by the Commission, SwiftVets agrees not to contest the Commission's conclusions."

"It is far better to end this legal confrontation now rather than continue a costly battle against government bureaucrats in an area where the law is unconscionably vague," said Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann, founder of the Swift Boat Veterans and POW's for Truth. "Despite the opinions of reputable legal counsel who believe that the Swift Boat Veterans would win on this issue in court, we are settling this dispute now so the bulk of our remaining cash can go to financially assist seriously wounded veterans," Hoffmann added.

"To date, an associated but financially independent foundation from the Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, has distributed $1,800,000 to 225 seriously wounded service men and women who face great financial challenges in rebuilding their lives. These vets have suffered severe, lifelong disabilities in service to our nation and they deserve our financial support and eternal gratitude," Hoffmann added.

The Swift Boat 527 organization has long ceased activity but its members are holding open their option to reform as a political action committee to re-engage in voter education if warranted.

SWIFT VETS AND POWs BLAST KERRY CAMPAIGN FOR CENSORSHIP TACTICS

Captured Emails From Campaign Officials Show A Clear Attempt To Deprive Pennsylvanians Of Their Opportunity To See “Stolen Honor”

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Swift Vets and POWs for Truth today blasted censorship tactics employed by the Kerry-Edwards campaign in Pennsylvania that have resulted in several canceled showings of the POW documentary Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal in the Philadelphia area. The documentary features many POWs who speak out about John Kerry’s anti-war activities and how it affected them while they were in captivity.

            An email transmission from Kerry-Edwards Pennsylvania campaign manager Tony Podesta clearly shows the Kerry campaign is behind the effort to keep the film from being shown.  Several Philadelphia area facilities declined to show the film after threats of pickets and protests.

            “The Kerry-Edwards campaign’s efforts to censor, silence and intimidate POWs, and to deny Pennsylvanians the opportunity to see this documentary, must stop.  What is the Kerry campaign so scared of that it has to employ censorship tactics?  POWs have earned the right to be heard, but evidently they have no place in John Kerry’s version of America,” said Dr. Tom McNish, a highly decorated retired Air Force colonel and POW who was in captivity in North Vietnam for six years and six months.

            “Mr. Podesta’s tactics insult all Pennsylvanians and all Americans of all political parties and ideologies.  Censorship has no place in America.  For years the North Vietnamese forced us to produce false statements to feed the lies propagated by John Kerry, Jane Fonda and their ilk.  Now, John Kerry does not want the truth to be told, but POWs will not be silenced,” McNish said.

            Stolen Honor is now available free to the public on the www.stolenhonor.com web site.  There have already been 200,000 viewings of the film through the web site in the past few days.

            To schedule interviews with Dr. McNish, or other POWs, contact Keith Appell at (703)-683-5004, ext. 112

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SWIFT VETS AND POWs MAKE STOLEN HONOR AVAILABLE FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

At www.StolenHonor.com, The Public Can Watch What John Kerry, The Democrats, And The Media Have Tried To Censor … And They Can Watch For Free

ALEXANDRIA, Va. --- Swift Vets and POWs for Truth today announced it has contracted with Red, White & Blue Productions to make the groundbreaking 43 minute documentary Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal available FREE to the general public through the web site www.StolenHonor.com. In addition, five mini-documentaries addressing several Kerry controversies will also be available free of charge, including the controversies over how he received his Silver Star and his three Purple Hearts and his supposed Christmas in Cambodia.

“American prisoners of war who were held by the North Vietnamese – an enemy that received aid and comfort from John Kerry – will not be silenced or censored. Now anybody who wants to see the truth about how Mr. Kerry’s affected those of us held in captivity can see it for free without any interference or harassment from Mr. Kerry or his supporters or from the media,” said Tom McNish, retired U.S. Air Force colonel who was held for six years and six months in North Vietnamese prisons.

“Mr. Kerry’s public statements attacked all servicemen serving at the time, calling all of us war criminals, and giving the North Vietnamese justification to threaten POWs with trial and punishment as war criminals. We had already resisted several years of torture in unsuccessful efforts to get us to confess to war crimes. Mr. Kerry’s visits to Paris and meetings with North Vietnamese and Viet Cong officials – and his subsequent endorsement of their proposals – only encouraged the enemy and prolonged the war and our captivity. His actions then would be no different from U.S. serviceman today denouncing our troops in Iraq as war criminals, meeting with al Qaeda, publicly advocating their positions, and then running for President 30 years from now.”

To schedule an interview with Mr. McNish or another of the POWs contact Keith Appell at (703)-683-5004, ext. 112

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"Our newest ad highlights a continuing pattern by Senator Kerry of placing his personal ambitions above the interests of our nation,” said John O’Neill, author if Unfit for Command. “When he secretly met with the enemy in 1970, he did so at great detriment to his fellow sailors, to our POWs, and to our nation. He undermined our war effort, giving the enemy greater resolve and determination.”

“More recently, his announcement to withdraw troops in Iraq commencing in six months is caused by that very same political expediency and has the very same effect. All he has done has given terrorists the resolve to stick with it for another six months,” said O’Neill.

The ad states:

“Even before Jane Fonda went to Hanoi to meet with the enemy and mock America, John Kerry secretly met with enemy leaders in Paris though we were still at war and Americans were being held in North Vietnamese prison camps.

“Then he returned and accused American troops of committing war crimes on a daily basis. In a time of war, can America trust a man who betrayed his country?”

“Kerry’s meeting with leaders of North Vietnam came at a time when our men were still in prison camps,” said Admiral Roy Hoffmann, founder of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. “Kerry’s meeting gave credibility to the communist regime’s wartime propaganda efforts and extended the imprisonment of our POWs by two years,” said Hoffmann.

The ad will air for six days on national cable and locally in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Nevada, and New Mexico starting on Wednesday, September 22, 2004. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth spent $1.3 million on the buy.

“Kerry’s meeting not only gave aid to the enemy, he also returned home to denounce his shipmates and all veterans by accusing fellow veterans of war crimes and outrageous atrocities,” Hoffmann added. “Our latest television ad explains this reprehensible behavior. This is not about politics, this is about judgment, truthfulness, reliability, loyalty and trust – all absolute tenets of command. John Kerry is not fit to the Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States.”

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is a nonpartisan, unincorporated political organization under section 527 of the IRS code. SBVT complies with the regulations of section 527. Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann (ret.) chairs the group, and Weymouth Symmes serves as treasurer. To date, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has raised more than $6.7 million from grassroots supporters in all fifty states.

To schedule an interview with a member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, please call Sean McCabe (ext. 110) or Steve Burke (ext. 108) at 703-683-5004.