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For Immediate Release
July 6, 2004		 Contact: Kelly Huff
Bob Biersack
Ian Stirton
George Smaragdis
ADR PROGRAM RESOLVES CASE

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission is making public a case resolved in the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program. This brings to 112 the total number of cases released since the ADR program began October 2, 2000. The program's goal is to expedite resolution of some enforcement matters, reduce the cost of processing complaints, and enhance overall FEC enforcement. Closed ADR negotiated settlement summaries are available in the FEC's Press and Public Records offices.

For a case to be considered for ADR treatment, a respondent must express willingness to engage in the ADR process, agree to set aside the statute of limitations while the case is pending in the ADR Office, and agree to participate in bilateral negotiations and, if necessary, mediation.

Bilateral negotiations through ADR are oriented toward reaching an expedient resolution with a mutually agreeable settlement that is both satisfying to the respondent(s) and in compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). Resolutions reached through direct and, when necessary, mediated negotiations are submitted to the Commissioners for final approval. If a resolution is not reached in bilateral negotiation, the case proceeds by mutual agreement to mediation. It should be noted that cases resolved through ADR are not precedential.

1. ADR 154  
     
  RESPONDENTS: Fannie Lou Hammer PAC, Edwin Washington, treasurer
  SOURCE: MUR 5377 : Greg McNeilly, on behalf of the Michigan Republican State Committee
  SUBJECT: Failure to register and report
  NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT:

$500 civil penalty Respondents acknowledged that their expenditures in connection with federal election campaigns in 2002 voided the terms of the Commission's administrative termination of November 2000. In order to resolve this matter and avoid violating the FECA in the future, respondents agree to complete and file with the Commission the missing campaign finance reports for the period from January 1999 through March 2004; set up and maintain in the Committee's offices a resource file on the FECA to provide guidance for the current and future officers of the PAC; send an appropriate representative to attend, within twelve months of the effective date of this agreement, a FEC seminar on federal election campaign reporting requirements; identify one member of the Committee's staff to be responsible for FECA compliance.

     
2. ADR 161  
     
  RESPONDENTS:

(a)   Eric Tanenblatt

(b)   Bush-Cheney '04, Inc., David Herndon, treasurer

(c)   State of Georgia

(d)   Office of the Governor (GA)
  SOURCE: MUR 5402 : George Anderson
  SUBJECT: Use of state resources in connection with a federal election/excessive contribution
  NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT: The ADR Office recommends the case be closed and the Commission agrees to close the file.
     
3. ADR 164  
     
  RESPONDENTS:

(a) Pro Choice Voter, Elizabeth Shollenberger,treasurer

(b) Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc., Catherine Lederer-Plaskett, President
  SOURCE: MUR 5404 : Aldo V. Vitagliano
  SUBJECT: Failure to file disclosure report; failure to accurately report debt
  NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT: The ADR Office recommends the case be closed and the Commission agrees to close the file.
     
4. ADR 165  
     
  RESPONDENTS:

(a) Gutknecht for U.S. Congress, David Byer, treasurer

(b) Leonard Prescott

  SOURCE: MUR 5399 : Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
  SUBJECT: Failure to provide accurate contributor information
  NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT: The ADR Office recommends the case be closed and the Commission agrees to close the file.
     
5. ADR 168  
     
  RESPONDENTS:

(a) Albert F. Turner

(b)   Friends of Albert Turner, Leslie Ford, treasurer

(c)    Perry County Civic League

(d)   Milton E. McGregor
  SOURCE: MUR 5419: Tawanna Wright
  SUBJECT: Solicit contributions on the premises of a non-profit tax exempt organization; coordinated efforts with political organization to collect contributions in violation of the Act; solicit soft money contributions; corporate contributions; failure to register
  NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT: The ADR Office recommends the case be closed and the Commission agrees to close the file.
     

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