Campaigns Cited for Failure to File Pre-Primary Report

CAMPAIGNS CITED FOR FAILURE TO FILE PRE-PRIMARY REPORT

WASHINGTON -- Michigan and Missouri will be holding primary elections on August 4, 1998, to select candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act require committees supporting candidates involved in the primary to file reports of their financial activity 12 days before the election.

As of 5 p.m. , July 30, 1998, a disclosure report from the following committees had not been filed:

MI/08...MUNSELL FOR CONGRESS…TERESA L. OLSON, TREAS…SUSAN GRIMES MUNSELL…REP

MI/15…KILPATRICK FOR UNITED STATES CONGRESS…ANTHONY D. GOUCH, TREAS…

CAROLYN CHEEKS KILPATRICK…DEM

MO/05…COMMITTEE TO ELECT WALTER WRIGHT FOR US CONGRESS 1998…WALTER WRIGHT I, TREAS…WALTER W. WRIGHT II…DEM

The reports were to include financial activity occurring from July 1 through July 15. If sent by registered mail, the reports should have been postmarked by July 20. Otherwise, the due date was close-of-business July 23.

Some individuals and their committees have no obligation to file reports under federal election law, even though their names may appear on state ballots. If an individual raises or spends less than $5,000, he or she is not considered a "candidate" subject to reporting under the FECA.

The FEC notified committees involved in the primary of their potential filing requirements on June 29. Those committees which did not file on the due date were notified on July 24 that reports had not been received and that their names would be published if they did not respond within four business days.

Other political committees supporting Senate and House candidates in elections (those which are not authorized units of a candidate''''s campaign) also are required to file pre-primary reports, unless they report monthly. Those committee names are not published by the FEC.

Further Commission action against non-filers and late filers is decided on a case-by-case basis. Federal law gives the FEC broad authority to initiate enforcement actions, including the imposition of civil penalties ($5,500 for "any violation" and $11,000 for any "knowing and willful" violation).

The next regularly scheduled disclosure reports for candidate committees will be the quarterly report due October 15. It will cover activity from July 16 through September 30.