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Kelly Huff
Bob Biersack
Ian Stirton
George Smaragdis
COMPLIANCE CASE MADE PUBLIC
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission has recently
made public its final action on a matter previously under review (MURs).
This release contains only disposition information.
(b) Red Letter Press and Helen Gilbert, registered agent
COMPLAINANT:
Barbara M. Boyd
SUBJECT:
Failure to register and report, excessive contributions,
corporate contribution, fraudulent misrepresentation
DISPOSITION:
(a-b) No reason to believe*
[re: any provision of the Act]
The complaint alleged that LaRouche Watch, an internet
chat group, was formed for the purpose of infiltrating and harassing
LaRouche''''s presidential campaign, expended more than $1,000 on such
activities and its failure to register or file with the Commission
as a political committee places it in violation of the FECA. The complaint
also points to the LaRouche Watch link to Red Letter Press, a Washington
state corporation, and asserts that it subsidized LaRouche Watch,
violating the corporate ban on contributions to political committees.
The Commission found no reason to believe that LaRouche Watch qualified
as a political committee and therefore was not required to register
and report with the Commission. The Commission found no reason to
believe that Red Letter Press made a corporate contribution to LaRouche
Watch.
DOCUMENTS ON PUBLIC RECORD:
Documents from these matters are available from the
Commission''''s web site at http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqs/searcheqs by entering
5400 under case number. They are also available in the FECs Public
Records Office at 999 E St. NW in Washington.
*There are four administrative stages to the FEC enforcement process:
1. Receipt of proper complaint
3. "Probable cause" stage
2. "Reason to believe" stage
4. Conciliation stage
It requires the votes of at least four of the six Commissioners to take
any action. The FEC can close a case at any point after reviewing a
complaint. If a violation is found and conciliation cannot be reached, then
the FEC can institute a civil court action against a respondent.
