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Federal Election Commission | United States of America
  • Press Release

Campaigns Cited for Failure to File Pre-Primary Report

May 8, 1998

News Releases, Media Advisories

For Immediate Release: Contact: Kelly Huff May 8, 1998 Ron Harris Sharon Snyder Ian Stirton

CAMPAIGN CITED FOR FAILURE TO FILE PREPRIMARY REPORT

WASHINGTON West Virginia will be holding primary elections on May 12, 1998, to select candidates for the U.S. 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. , May 7, 1998, a disclosure report from the following committee had not been filed:

*WV/01...W.E. BILL RUEHL...WILBUR E. RUEHL, TREAS...BILL E. RUEHL...DEM

The report was to include financial activity occurring from April 1 through April 22. If sent by registered mail, the report should have been postmarked by April 27. Otherwise, the due date was closeofbusiness April 30.

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 April 6. Those committees which did not file on the due date were notified on May 1 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 preprimary reports, unless they report monthly. Those committee names are not published by the FEC.

Further Commission action against nonfilers and late filers is decided on a casebycase basis. Federal law gives the FEC broad authority to initiate enforcement actions, including the imposition of civil penalties ($5,000 for "any violation" and $10,000 for any "knowing and willful" violation).

The next regularly scheduled disclosure reports for candidate committees will be the quarterly report due July 15. It will cover activity from April 23 through June 30.

# # #

  • The Pre-Primary Report has been filed. However, the FEC received the disclosure report after the 5 p.m., May 7, 1998 cutoff date.

Read next:

FEC Issues Advisory Opinion, Discusses a Second Advisory Opinion Request, Approves Policy to Expand Disclosure of Enforcement Matters and Adopts Revisions to Reporting Forms

More press releases »

This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public.

The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.