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For Immediate Release
April 26, 2004		 Contact: Kelly Huff
Bob Biersack
Ian Stirton
George Smaragdis
COMPLIANCE CASES MADE PUBLIC

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission has recently made public its final actions on two matters previously under review (MURs). This release contains only disposition information.

1. MUR 5275  
     
  RESPONDENTS: Unknown
  COMPLAINANTS: Gene A. Farber, Counsel, Friends of David Fink
  SUBJECT: Disclaimer; use of contributor information
  DISPOSITION: Take no action*

The complainant alleged that an unknown person sent a letter to the candidates? contributors and venders that expressly advocated the defeat of the candidate which did not contain a disclaimer. The Commission rejected the reason to believe recommendation by the General Counsel and exercised its prosecutorial discretion to take no action.
  DOCUMENTS ON PUBLIC RECORD: Documents from this matter are available from the Commission?s web site at http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqs/searcheqs by entering 5275 under case number. They are also available in the FECs Public Records Office at 999 E St. NW in Washington.
     
2. MUR 5378  
     
  RESPONDENT: Commission on Presidential Debates
  COMPLAINANTS: John Hagelin

Ralph Nader

Patrick Buchanan

Howard Phillips

Winona LaDuke

Natural Law Party

Green Party of the United States

Constitution Party

  SUBJECT: Failure to register and report; corporate contributions; excessive contributions
  DISPOSITION: No reason to believe*

The complainant alleged that the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) was ineligible to stage nonpartisan debates in 2000 by asserting that the CPD is partisan organization. The complainants maintained that the CPD was founded and is controlled by the Republican and Democratic Parties and their representatives citing the alleged partisan composition of CPD?s board of directors and the CPD?s founding by co-chairs who were, at the time, chairmen of the RNC and DNC respectively. The complaint also states that the CPD decision to exclude all third-party candidates from attending the presidential debates as audience members was a partisan act. The Commission found there was no reason to believe the CDP violated the Act.
  DOCUMENTS ON PUBLIC RECORD: Documents from this matter are available from the Commission?s web site at http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqs/searcheqs by entering 5089 under case number. They are also available in the FECs Public Records Office at 999 E St. NW in Washington.
     

*There are four administrative stages to the FEC enforcement process:

1. Receipt of proper complaint 3. "Probable cause" stage
2. "Reason to believe" stage 4. Conciliation stage

It requires the votes of at least four of the six Commissioners to take any action. The FEC can close a case at any point after reviewing a complaint. If a violation is found and conciliation cannot be reached, then the FEC can institute a civil court action against a respondent.

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