We have mentioned the tightrope act that Texas Senator Ted Cruz performs in his deal with iHeartMedia as he plays push the envelope with The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.

What we’ve barely touched on is Ted Cruz’s partner in crime: the very same iHeartMedia. You see, it is not only a crime for Cruz to extract hundreds of thousands of dollars from a donor by directing them to pay the lucre he earns from his podcast, Verdict With Ted Cruz, to a PAC fund whose sole purpose is to re-elect him, it is also a violation of 52 USC § 30129(a) and 11 CFR § 115.2(a)(1) to make these contributions while a federal government contractor.

Which is what iHeartMedia is, and has been.

iHeartMedia maintains government contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Here is the description of one such contract for which iHeartMedia was paid $30,000.

It’s just that clear.

Cruz can’t do what he’s doing, and iHeartMedia can’t do what they’re doing.

You’d think that the Federal Election Commission would be all over this, but all of the players in DC know how toothless the FEC has become. Its governing board of 6 has barely had a quorum these past few years, and when it does, the votes are at times deadlocked along party lines.

Like everything else in government today, our institutions are constructed to ride herd over those who complain about not being told not to mow the carpet.