Committees fail to file pre-primary reports

Four campaign committees failed to file the Pre-Primary report required by the Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act) for primary elections on August 5, 2008, in Kansas, Michigan and Missouri, and one campaign committee failed to file the Pre-Primary report required for the August 12 primary election in Connecticut.

As of 5 p.m. July 31, 2008, the required disclosure report had not been received from the following committees active in August 5th primary elections:

• Lee Jones for Senate, principal campaign committee for Leroy Dean Jones, a candidate in Kansas. The committee treasurer is Sue Peachey.
• Betts for Congress, principal campaign committee for Donald Betts, Jr., a candidate in Kansas' 4th district. The committee treasurer is Thomas M. Warner, Jr.
• Jack Hoogendyk for US Senate, principal campaign committee for Jack Hoogendyk, a candidate in Michigan. The committee treasurer is Jack Hoogendyk.
• Allen for Congress, principal campaign committee for Joseph William Allen, a candidate in Missouri's 8th district. The committee treasurer is Kathryn Sunita Allen.

This report was due on July 24, 2008. If sent by certified or registered mail, the report should have been postmarked by July 21, 2008.

As of 5 p.m. August 7, 2008, the required disclosure report had not been received from Lee Whitnum 2008, principal campaign committee for Lisa Lee Whitnum in Connecticut's 4th Congressional District. The committee’s treasurer is L. Lee Whitnum. This report was due on July 31, 2008, and should have included financial activity for the period July 1, 2008, through July 23, 2008. If sent by certified or registered mail, the report should have been postmarked by July 28, 2008.

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

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 Act.

Other political committees that support Senate and House candidates in elections, but are not authorized units of a candidate's campaign, are also 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, and the FEC has implemented an administrative fine program with provisions for assessing monetary penalties.