Says she’s willing to ask for similar oversight of progressive organizations

By Guy Page

Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Dover, lead sponsor of campaign advertising legislation that became law this year, has filed a complaint asking the Vermont Attorney General’s Office to determine whether paid advertisements by Americans for Prosperity during the 2026 election cycle are subject to state campaign-finance or lobbying disclosure laws.

The social media advertisements criticize Vermont lawmakers and their voting records, according to Sibilia. One also urges Vermonters to contact legislators in support of positions backed by AFP.

The memes above (shown as examples, others exist) appear on Americans for Prosperity social media. The five ads below (all VPIRG except the Sierra Club meme) appear on their own social media. All appear to address legislation and/or elections.

“This is not a complaint about whether AFP has a right to speak. It does,” Sibilia said. “Even though I disagree with quite a bit of what AFP says, that does not matter. The question is did/is AFP spending money to influence an election or legislative action, and if so, is it following Vermont’s disclosure laws?”

Sibilia said she sent copies of the advertisements to the Vermont Secretary of State’s Elections Division before filing the complaint. Sibilia elections administrators responded that the communications “certainly appear” intended to influence an election and said an argument could be made that language telling people to contact legislators amounts to a solicitation intended to influence legislative action.

The complaint comes after Vermont lawmakers changed both election and lobbying laws during the past two legislative sessions.

Act 70, approved by Gov. Phil Scott in June 2025, made a series of changes to Vermont election law, including provisions governing registration and reporting by political committees. The law amended several sections of the state’s campaign-finance statutes.

Act 154, approved in June of this year, expanded identification and reporting requirements for certain lobbying advertisements. Sibilia was the lead sponsor of H.686, which became Act 154.

Sibilia also participated in the development of provisions in Act 70, including an amendment considered by the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee in March 2025.

“Vermont’s laws apply to everyone,” Sibilia said. “If a progressive organization spends money attacking Republican legislators during an election, it must follow the same campaign-finance laws. The same is true for environmental groups, labor organizations, corporations or conservative organizations.”

VDC asked Sibilia this morning: If VPIRG does the same thing, do you have the same objection?” She responded: “I do. Or Conservation Voters. Or the Fiscal Alliance Foundation.”

VPIRG this year, as it does most years, posted memes on their Facebook page apparently criticizing elected officials for actions taken on legislation and urging Vermonters to respond. 

The complaint asks the Attorney General’s Office to determine whether the AFP advertisements triggered Vermont’s disclosure requirements and, if so, whether AFP complied. It does not ask the state to obtain AFP’s donor list, Sibilia said.

The filing follows an earlier Vermont enforcement action involving AFP. The Attorney General’s Office says it received a complaint in September 2024 alleging AFP failed to comply with Vermont lobbying law during its campaign opposing the Clean Heat Standard. The investigation ended in April 2025 with an Assurance of Discontinuance under which AFP agreed to comply with Vermont lobbying law and pay a $3,000 fine.

AFP has argued in Vermont that its advocacy is focused on educating residents about policies it believes raise costs and on holding lawmakers accountable. During the 2024 debate over the Clean Heat Standard, the organization said environmental protection and energy affordability need not conflict.

Sibilia said the distinction between a group’s right to advocate and its duty to comply with disclosure laws is at the heart of her complaint.

“This is a national organization that has repeatedly gone to court over state disclosure requirements,” Sibilia said. “They have every right to challenge laws they believe are unconstitutional. Vermont has every right to enforce our laws.”

Sibilia this year also co-sponsored H.793, one of two Vermont bills aimed at restricting some corporate election spending in response to Citizens United. Neither proposal became law.