Weekly Digests

Weekly Digest
Week of March 21 – 25

COMMISSION MEETINGS AND HEARINGS

No Commission open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week.

ENFORCEMENT

The Commission made public three closed cases and one Statement of Reasons, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

MUR 6817
COMPLAINANT: Frank Dixon
RESPONDENTS: Dr. Monica Wehby for U.S. Senate and Bryan Burch, in his official capacity as treasurer (Wehby Committee); Dr. Monica Wehby; If He Votes Like That In Salem Imagine What He Will Do In Congress and Carol Russell, in her official capacity as treasurer (If He Votes); and Andrew Miller
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that If He Votes, an independent expenditure-only political committee, and Miller made—and Wehby and the Wehby Committee received—a prohibited contribution when Miller contributed funds and billboard time and If He Votes coordinated a billboard and radio advertisement with the Wehby campaign. The complaint alleged further that If He Votes failed to report polling expenses connected to these advertisements, include the proper disclaimers and file 48-hour Independent Expenditure Reports. Wehby was a 2014 candidate for Oregon’s United States Senate seat.
DISPOSITION: The Commission found reason to believe If He Votes failed to file a 48-hour Independent Expenditure Report and entered into a conciliation agreement providing for If He Votes to pay a civil penalty of $4,125.The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the remaining allegations.

MUR 6903
COMPLAINANT: FEC-Initiated
RESPONDENTS: Henry Lawrence for Congress LLC and Curtis S. Root, in his official capacity as treasurer
SUBJECT: In the normal course of carrying out its supervisory responsibilities, the Commission initiated proceedings to determine whether there was reason to believe Henry Lawrence for Congress LLC and Root, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee), failed to file the 2014 April Quarterly Report and reported inaccurate dates for receipts and disbursements on its 2014 Pre-Primary Report.
DISPOSITION: The Commission entered into a conciliation agreement providing for the Committee to pay a civil penalty of $3,000.

MUR 6912
COMPLAINANT: Ardith Hildebrant
RESPONDENTS:  Arizona Republican Party and Jonathan Lines, in his official capacity as treasurer; and Robert Graham, Chairman
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Arizona Republican Party and Lines, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee), and Graham (1) made excessive transfers between the Committee’s federal and nonfederal accounts, (2) paid “exorbitant” merchant fees and included insufficient information on the purpose of disbursements to the Committee’s bank in its financial disclosure reports, and (3) ran negative ending cash-on-hand balances.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the allegations as to the Committee. The Commission observed that the Committee had complied substantially with the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), and Commission regulations and that the Committee had taken corrective action by amending its 2014 July Monthly Report to provide statements of purpose for disbursements to the bank. The Commission found no reason to believe Graham violated the Act or Commission regulations.

MURs 6391 and 6471 – Commission on Hope Growth and Opportunity. On March 21, Vice Chairman Steven T. Walther issued a Statement of Reasons.

ADMINISTRATIVE FINES

The Commission made public three campaign finance enforcement matters that were resolved through its Administrative Fines (AF) program, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

AF 3025 – Claitor for Congress and Chelsea Bonnecaze, in her official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $6,187.

AF 3026 – Flinn for Senate and Lloyd Hetzer, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,362.

AF 3027 – Tom Carter for Congress and Thomas Carter, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed no civil penalty.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The Commission made public one campaign finance enforcement matter that was resolved through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

ADR 782 – Vanila Singh for Congress 2014 and Thomas E. Montgomery, in his official capacity as treasurer. The respondent agreed to (1) certify the closure of the Committee’s federal account and file a termination report, and (2) pay a civil penalty of $2,300.

LITIGATION

Levinthal, et al v. FEC(Case 1:15-cv-01148-JEB). On March 25, the Commission filed a joint Stipulation of Dismissal.

Levinthal, et al v. FEC (Case 1:15-cv-01624-APM). On March 17, the Commission filed its Motion for Summary Judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Republican Party of Louisiana, et al. v. FEC (Case 1:15-cv-1241-CRC-SS-TSC). On March 18, the Commission filed its Motion for Summary Judgment and Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.   

OUTREACH

On March 21, Reports Analysis Division Assistant Staff Director Debbie Chacona spoke at the Republican National Committee's Legal Compliance Seminar in Washington, DC.

On March 23, Commissioner Ann M. Ravel discussed the relationship between women's issues and campaign finance with political science students at Kenyon College.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

On March 23, the Commission hosted a Webinar for Candidate Committees.

UPCOMING COMMISSION MEETINGS AND HEARINGS

March 31: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

Meeting dates are subject to change. Please contact the Press Office the week of the scheduled meeting for confirmation.

UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

April 19-20, Orlando, FL, Regional Conference for House & Senate Campaigns; National, State, District & Local Party Committees; and Corporate, Labor, Membership & Trade Organization PACs. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

UPCOMING REPORTING DUE DATES

April 15: April Quarterly Reports are due. For information on quarterly reporting dates, refer to the 2016 Quarterly Reporting page of the Commission website.

April 20: April Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2016 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

DISCLOSURE INITIATIVES

Commission staff, together with our partners at 18F, continue to add new features to the agency's beta.fec.gov website. The Commission encourages website visitors to submit comments and questions by clicking on the "Feedback" tab at the bottom of each page.

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH MATERIALS

Additional research materials about the agency, campaign finance information, and election results are available through the Library section of the Commission website.

The Commission has published the March Record newsletter. Sign up to receive email notification when new Record articles are posted.

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