MUR #5031

RESPONDENTS: Friends of Lane Evans Committee; 17th District Victory Fund; Anderson, Linda K.; Chicago & Central States Unite - PEC; Democratic Party Of Illinois; Evans, Lane Allen; Gianulis, John; Gilman, Samuel M.; Hill, Janet K.; J V Consulting; Karlin, Jeremy S.; Kasper, Michael J.; Knox County Democratic Central Committee; MacArthur, Solange; Madigan, Michael J.; Muller, Robert O.; Nelson, Eric; Rock Island Democratic Central Committee; Skonicki, James E.; Strategic Consulting Group

COMPLAINANTS: Getz, Tom; Rock Island County Republican Central Committee

SUBJECT: Contributions-Prohibited; Contributions-Labor Unions; Contributions-Excessive; Contributions-Corporations; Disclaimer; Reporting

DISPOSITION: The Commission decided by a vote of 4-1 to take the following actions in FEC v. Friends of Lane Evans, et al: 1. Accept the proposed Stipulation for Entry of Consent Judgment and Consent Judgment in settlement of this case. 2. Authorize the Office of the General Counsel to sign the proposed Stipulation for Entry of Consent Judgment. 3. Take no further action against Congressman Lane Evans, Eric Nelson, and John Gianulis; close the MUR file as to all respondents; and send the appropriate letters.
Decided by vote 5-0 to 1. Take no further action against the Democratic Party of Illinois and Michael Kasper, as treasurer, as recommended in the GC Report #6 dated January 7, 2004. 2. Find no RTB that Michael Madigan, as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, violated any provision of the Act in this matter. 3. Take no action against the Knox County Democratic Central Committee and Jeremy Karlin, as treasurer, other than sending an admnishment letter. 4. Find no RTB that Janet Hill, as chairman of the Knox County Committee violated any provision of the Act in this matter. 5. Find no RTB that the Strategic Consulting Group, Inc. violated any provision of the Act in this matter. 6. Close the file as it pertains to: Strategic Consulting Group, Inc.; the Knox County Democratic Central Committee and Jeremy Karlin, as treasurer, and Janet Hill, as chairman; the Democratic Party of Illinois and Michael Kasper, as treasurer, and Michael Madigan, as chairman. 7. Approve the appropriate letters, as recommended in the GC Report #6 dated January 7, 2004.
Decided by vote 4-1 on a pre-meeting tally, to grant OGC contingent authority to file a civil suit in federal district court against Friends of Lane Evans and Samuel M. Gilman, as treasurer, the 17th District Victory Fund and Linda K. Anderson, as treasurer, and the Rock Island County Democratic Central Committee and John Gianulis, as treasurer.
Decided by vote 4-1 to 1. Based on the theory that the Evans Committee and the Victory Fund are not affiliated: (a) find PCTB that Friends of Lane Evans and Samuel M. Gilman, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 441a(f), 433, 434, and 441b. (b) find PCTB that the 17th District Victory Fund and Linda Anderson, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 433, 441a(f), 434, and 441b. 2. Approve the appropriate conciliation agreement, as recommended in the GC Memorandum dated November 10, 2003.
Decided by vote 5-0 based on the theory that the Evans Committee and the Victory Fund are affiliated, to: 1. Find PCTB that Friends of Lane Evans and Samuel M. Gilman, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 441a(f), 433, 434, and 441b; and 2. Find PCTB that the 17th District Victory Fund and Linda Anderson, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 433, 441a(f), 434, and 441b.
Decided by vote 4-1 based on the theory that the Evans Committee and the Victory Fund are affiliated, to: Approve the conciliation agreement for the Evans Committee and the Victory Fund, as recommended in the GC Report dated October 10, 2003; subject to the following revisions: ............... REDACTED ..............
Decided by vote 4-1 to: Find PCTB that the Rock Island County Democratic Central Committee and John Gianulis, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 441a(a).
Decided by vote 5-0 to: Find PCTB that the Rock Island County Democratic Central Committee and John Gianulis, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 433, 434, 441a(f), 441b, and 441d.
Decided by vote 5-0 to: 1. Approve the conciliation agreement for the Rock Island Committee, as recommended in the GC Report dated October 10, 2003; subject to a revised ............... REDACTED ............... 2. Approve the appropriate letters.
Decided by vote 6-0 on an amended pre-meeting tally, to take the following actions with respect to MUR 5031: 1. Find RTB that the Democratic Party of Illinois and Michael J. Kasper, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 433(b)(2), 434(b), and 441a(f), and 11 CFR 110.7(c). 2. Find RTB that the Rock Island County Democratic Central Committee and Walter J. Tiller, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 433(a), 434, 441b, and 441a(f), and 11 CFR 102.5(a)(1). 3. Find RTB that Friends of Lane Evans and Samuel M. Gilman, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 441a(f). 4. Find no RTB that J.V. Consulting Services violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, and close the file as to this respondent. 5. Take no action at this time with regard to Michael J. Madigan, John Gianulis, and Janet K. Hill. 6. Find RTB that the 17th District Victory Fund and Catherine A. Brunner, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 433(b)(2), 441a(f), 441b, and 434(b), and 11 CFR 106.5(e). 7. Find no RTB that Chicago and Central States Unite - PEC and James E. Skonicki, as treasurer, violated 2 U.S.C. 441a(a) and close the file as to these respondents. 8. Find no RTB that Solange MacArthur or Robert O. Muller violated 2 U.S.C. 441a(a) and close the file as to these respondents. 9. Take no action at this time with regard to Strategic Consulting Group. 10. Take no action at this time with regard to the Knox County Democratic Central Committee and Jeremy S. Karlin, as treasurer. 11. Take no action at this time with regard to the Honorable Lane Evans. 12. Approve the appropriate Factual and Legal Analyses, as recommended in the GC Report dated August 2, 2002; subject to the following revision: Instruct OGC to exclude any references to the Mark Baker television advertisement paid for by the state party in the Factual and Legal Analysis for the Democratic Party of Illinois. 13. Approve the appropriate letters. 14. ............... REDACTED ...............