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For Immediate Release

Contact: 

Bob Biersack

February 8, 2008

George Smaragdis

Michelle Ryan

FEC Cites Two Maryland Congressional Campaigns for Failure

to File Pre-Primary Reports

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission cited two Congressional campaign committees in Maryland today for failing to file the Pre-Primary report required by the Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act).

As of 5 p.m., February 7, 2008, disclosure reports from the following committees had not been filed:

State

District

Committee

Treasurer

Candidate

Party

MD

1

Citizens for Joe Arminio

Robert F. Freeman IV

Joseph A. Arminio

Rep

MD

4

Friends to Elect George Mitchell for Congress

Rosalind Mitchell

George E. Mitchell

Dem

          These reports were due to the FEC January 31, 2008, and should have included financial activity for the period October 1, 2007, through January 23, 2008. If sent by certified or registered mail, the reports should have been postmarked by January 28, 2008.

          Some individuals and their committees have no obligation to file reports under federal election law, even though their names may appear on state ballots.  If an individual raises or spends less than $5,000, he or she is not considered a "candidate" subject to reporting under the Act.

          The FEC notified committees involved in the primary of their potential filing requirements on January 7, 2008.  Those committees who did not file on the due date were notified on February 1, 2008, that reports had not been received and that their names would be published if they did not respond within four business days.

          Other political committees that support Senate and House candidates in elections, but are not authorized units of a candidate's campaign, are also required to file pre-primary reports, unless they report monthly.  Those committee names are not published by the FEC.

          Further Commission action against non-filers and late filers is decided on a case-by-case basis. Federal law gives the FEC broad authority to initiate enforcement actions, and the FEC has implemented an administrative fine program with provisions for assessing monetary penalties.                      

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign finance laws. The FEC has jurisdiction over the financing of campaigns for the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, the Presidency and the Vice Presidency.

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