Campaigns Cited for Failure to File Pre-Primary Reports
CAMPAIGNS CITED FOR FAILURE TO FILE PRE-PRIMARY REPORTS
WASHINGTON -- Maryland, New York and Rhode Island will be holding primary elections on September 15, 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. , September 11, 1998, disclosure reports from the following committees had not been filed:
MD/07…DOROTHY C. JENNINGS FOR US CONGRESS 7TH DISTRICT…CORA BIGGERS, TREAS…DOROTHY C. JENNINGS…REP
MD…….WAYMAN FOR SENATE COMMITTEE…WILLIAM R. CHANDLER, TREAS…KENNETH L. WAYMAN…REP
NY/06….MEEKS FOR CONGRESS…CHARLES H. REEVES, III, TREAS…GREGORY W. MEEKS…DEM
NY/11….FRIENDS OF MAJOR OWENS…ASQUITH D. REID, TREAS…MAJOR ROBERT ODELL OWENS…DEM
NY/17….COMMITTEE TO ELECT PETER FIUMEFREDDO TO CONGRESS…ANGELO J. MILONE, TREAS…PETER FIUMEFREDDO…REP
NY/27….COOK FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE…WESTON L. KENNISON, TREAS…WILLIAM R. COOK…DEM
NY/28….CRAWFORD FOR CONGRESS…SALLY DARLING, TREAS…JERRY CRAWFORD…REP
NY/30….COMMITTEE TO ELECT CRYSTAL D. PEOPLES…CLARA M. DAVIS, TREAS…CRYSTAL D. PEOPLES…DEM
The reports were to include financial activity occurring from July 1 through August 26. If sent by registered mail, the reports should have been postmarked by August 31. Otherwise, the due date was close-of-business September 3.
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 August 10. Those committees which did not file on the due date were notified on September 4 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 August 27 through September 30.
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