Anti-Obama smear group broke election laws

In 2004, a relatively obscure local group called Empower Illinois released a few hateful, yet unsuccessful political ads against then-Senate candidate Barack Obama.  Three years later, they are being penalized by the FEC for violating election finance laws:

The Federal Election Commission has fined a 527 group that aired adsduring Barack Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign, suggesting he “wants toteach sex … to kindergartners,” opposed “tougher penalties for gangbangers who kill innocent children” and “supported abortion even afterthe child was born alive.”
The Empower Illinois Media Fund violated campaign rules by raisingmoney to defeat Obama without registering with the FEC as a politicalcommittee or complying with federal contribution limits and reportingrequirements, according to a settlement last month with the commission.The group agreed to pay a $3,000 penalty and retroactively report itsexpenses and contributors.

Though the group appears to have shut down after Obama, a Democrat,defeated Republican Alan Keyes, some of the attacks it leveled havebeen resurrected as Obama has emerged as a leading presidentialcandidate.

In following politics as much as I have since 2001, I have never heard of this organization, nor have I seen any of the ads they released.  I am unable find any of their ads.  With these FEC fines on their resume, the Republicans had better search long and hard for a new front group to attack Obama with just in case he wins the nomination.  At the moment, none exist.  Only passionate conservatives like this guy:

Comments

[Jon]

Disdain for culture, xenophobia, loathing of responsible sexuality, blowing a sensible position way out proportion, and the crown jewel of conservative thought tying anything they don't like in with Bill Clinton. Nice how this guy said Obama's middle name as if something was wrong with it. I bet he doesn't say George Walker Bush. The only thing missing here was some sort of blatant religous based grab at moral high ground. If these are the issues conservatives stay awake worried about at night its no wonder Iraq and infrastructure are falling apart.