MUR #7292

RESPONDENTS: Stearns, Clifford "Cliff" B.; Friends of Cliff Stearns; Stearns, Joan

COMPLAINANTS: Campaign Legal Center; Kelley, Catherine Hinckley; Fischer (CLC), Brendan M.

SUBJECT: Personal use

DISPOSITION: The Commission failed by a vote of 2-2 to: a. Reject the conciliation agreement. b. Go back and negotiate an agreement with a tougher penalty, one where Mr. Stearns would have personal liability for some of the penalty.
The Commission decided by a vote of 4-0 to: a. Accept the signed conciliation agreement with Clifford “Cliff” B. Stearns and Friends of Cliff Stearns and Joan Stearns in her official capacity as treasurer, as recommended in the Memorandum to the Commission dated June 19, 2019. b. Approve the appropriate letters. c. Close the file.
The Commission decided by a vote of 4-0 to take the following actions in MUR 7292: 1. Approve the conciliation agreement, as recommended in the Memorandum to the Commission dated April 3, 2019, subject to the edit circulated by Chair Weintraub’s office on April 10, 2019. 2. Approve the appropriate letter.
The Commission failed by a vote of 2-2 to: a. Find reason to believe that Clifford “Cliff” B. Stearns and Friends of Cliff Stearns and Joan Stearns in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30114(b). b. Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis as recommended in the First General Counsel’s Report dated April 27, 2018. c. Approve the use of compulsory process. d. Approve the appropriate letters.
The Commission decided by a vote of 4-0 to: a. Find reason to believe that Clifford “Cliff” B. Stearns and Friends of Cliff Stearns and Joan Stearns in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30114(b). b. Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis as recommended in the First General Counsel’s Report dated April 27, 2018, subject to the edits circulated by Commissioner Hunter and Petersen’s offices on March 15, 2019 and counter-edits received from Commissioner Weintraub’s office on March 18, 2019. c. Instruct the Office of General Counsel to prepare an appropriate conciliation agreement to be circulated on tally as soon as possible. d. Approve the appropriate letters.