MUR #6800

RESPONDENTS: Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee Inc.; Designer Goldsmith, Inc; Kesari, Dimitri; Pyeatt, Lori Paul; Sorenson, Kent

COMPLAINANT: Waldron, Peter

SUBJECT: Committees-Presidential; Contributions-Prohibited; Contributions-Corporations; Knowing and Willful; Presidential; Reporting

DISPOSITION: The Commission decided by a vote of 5-0 to take the following actions in MUR 6800: 1. Close the file. 2. Issue appropriate letters.
The Commission failed by a vote of 3-2 to: Direct the Office of General Counsel to draft Probable Cause Briefs.
The Commission failed by a vote of 2-3 to: a. Dismiss the remaining allegations against the respondents. b. Close the file. c. Approve the appropriate letters.
The Commission failed by a vote of 2-0 to: a. Close the file. b. Approve the appropriate letters.
The Commission decided by a vote of 4-0 to take the following actions: 1. Enter into pre-probable cause conciliation with Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee and Lori Pyeatt in her official capacity as treasurer prior to a finding of probable cause to believe. 2. Enter into pre-probable cause conciliation with Designer Goldsmiths, Inc. prior to a finding of probable cause to believe. 3. Approve the proposed Conciliation Agreements, as recommended in the Second General Counsel’s Report dated November 7, 2018, except that the Conciliation Agreement with Designer Goldsmiths, Inc. and Dimitri Kesari be recaptioned to “In the Matter of Designer Goldsmiths, Inc.,” and all references to Dimitri Kesari be stricken, with the exception of the references to Dimitri Kesari in the factual portion of the Conciliation Agreement, as discussed at the table. 4. Close the file with respect to Kent Sorenson. 5. Close the file with respect to Dimitri Kesari. 6. Approve the appropriate letters.
The Commission decided by a vote of 5-0 to: a. Find reason to believe Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee Inc., and Lori Pyeatt in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30118 (formerly 2 U.S.C. § 441b) by knowingly accepting a prohibited corporate in-kind contribution. b. Find reason to believe Designer Goldsmiths, Inc., violated 52 U.S.C. § 30118 (formerly 2 U.S.C. § 441b) by making a prohibited corporate in-kind contribution. c. Find reason to believe Dimitri Kesari violated 52 U.S.C. § 30118 (formerly 2 U.S.C. § 441b) by consenting to the making of a prohibited corporate in-kind contribution. d. Find reason to believe Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee Inc., and Lori Pyeatt in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30104(b)(5) (formerly 2 U.S.C. § 434(b)(5)) by failing to properly report its disbursements to the Commission. e. Find reason to believe that all of the above violations were knowing and willful. f. Take no action at this time with respect to Kent Sorenson. g. Approve the appropriate letters. h. Authorize compulsory process, as necessary.
The Commission failed by a vote of 3-2 to: a. Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis as recommended in the First General Counsel’s Report dated October 8, 2014.
The Commission decided by a vote of 5-0 to: a. Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis as recommended in the First General Counsel’s Report dated October 8, 2014 subject to the edits circulated by Chairman Petersen and Commissioner Hunter on June 14, 2016 at 11:19 A.M.