For Immediate Release: Contact: Kelly Huff
May 19, 2000 Ron Harris
Sharon Snyder
Ian Stirton
CAMPAIGNS CITED FOR FAILURE TO FILE PRE-PRIMARY REPORT
WASHINGTON -- Arkansas, Idaho and Kentucky will be holding primary elections on May 23, 2000, to select candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act require committees supporting candidates involved in the primary to file reports of their financial activity 12 days before the election.
As of 5 p.m. , May 18, 2000, disclosure reports from the following committees had not been filed:
AR/01...JASON SUTFIN FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE....BRYAN ULMER, TREAS...JASON E. SUTFIN...REP
AR/02...ROD MARTIN FOR CONGRESS INC...LEAH MARTIN, TREAS...ROD D. MARTIN...REP
ID/01...LINDA PALL CONGRESS 2000...MARY JO HAMILTON, TREAS...LINDA L. B. PALL...DEM
KY/04...DON BELL FOR CONGRESS/2000...DEA J. WOODS, TREAS...DON BELL...REP
The reports were due by close-of-business May 11, and were to include financial activity from April 1 through May 3. If sent by certified or registered mail, the reports should have been postmarked by May 8.
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 FECA.
The FEC notified committees involved in the primary of their potential filing requirements on April 17. Those committees which did not file on the due date were notified on May 12 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 supporting Senate and House candidates in elections (those which are not authorized units of a candidate's campaign) also are 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, including the imposition of civil penalties ($5,500 for "any violation" and $11,000 for any "knowing and willful" violation).
The next regularly scheduled disclosure reports for candidate committees will be the quarterly report, due July 15. It will cover activity from May 4 through June 30.
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