Compliance Cases Made Public
COMPLIANCE CASES MADE PUBLIC
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission has recently made public its final action on 10 matters previously under review (MURs). This release contains only summary information. Closed files should be thoroughly read for details, including the FEC’s legal analysis of the case. (See footnote at the end of this release.) Closed MUR files are available in the Public Records Office.
1. MUR 4689
RESPONDENTS: (a) Honorable Robert K. Dornan (CA)
(b) Dornan for Congress, Robert K. Dornan, treasurer (CA)
(c) Salem Radio Networks and its officers (TX)
(d) Premier Radio Networks and its officers (CA)
(e) ABC Radio Networks, Inc. and ABC, Inc. (NY)
(f) Alan Keyes (MD)
(g) Oliver North (VA)
(h) Michael Reagan (CA)
COMPLAINANTS: California Democratic Party, Honorable Art Torres, Chairman (CA)
SUBJECT: Corporate contributions; disclaimers
DISPOSITION: (a-d) Rejected recommendation to find reason to believe*
[re: corporate contributions]
(c-d) Rejected recommendation to find reason to believe*
[re: disclaimers]
(a-d) No reason to believe*
[re: any provision of the Act]
(e) Rejected recommendation to take no action*
No reason to believe* [re: any provision of the Act]
(f-h) No reason to believe*
[re: corporate contributions]
2. MUR 4719
RESPONDENTS: New Jersey Republican State Committee, H. George Buckwald, treasurer (NJ)
COMPLAINANTS: Public Interest Law Center of New Jersey, Renee Steinhagen, Esq., Executive Director (NJ)
SUBJECT: Failure to properly calculate ballot composition ratio for administrative and generic voter drive expenses; overpayment to the federal account from the non-federal account; use of prohibited contributions
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $65,000 civil penalty*
-Respondents will: refund remaining $232,000 from their federal account to their non-federal account by December 31, 1999; not expend any funds from their federal account, except for administrative expenses such as rent and salaries, until they have refunded the remaining $232,000; provide FEC with evidence of each transferred payment.
3. MUR 4728
RESPONDENTS: (a) Campaign for Working Families, Peter Dickinson, treasurer (DC)
(b) Gary L. Bauer, Chairman, Campaign for Working Families (DC)
(c) Peter Roskam (IL)
(d) Roskam for Congress Committee, Carl A. Lofgren, treasurer (IL)
COMPLAINANTS: Judy Biggert for Congress, Kevin Artl, Campaign Manager (IL)
SUBJECT: Failure to file 24-hour reports timely; excessive contributions; disclaimer; failure to accurately report disbursements
DISPOSITION: (a) Conciliation Agreement: $12,000 civil penalty*
No reason to believe*
[re: excessive contributions]
(b) No reason to believe*
[re: any provision of the law]
(c-d) No reason to believe*
[re: failure to accurately report disbursements; excessive contributions]
4. MUR 4785
RESPONDENT: Ron Taber (WA)
COMPLAINANTS: Washington State Democratic Central Committee, Paul Berendt, Chairman (WA)
SUBJECT: Failure to file Statement of Candidacy timely
DISPOSITION: Reason to believe, but took no further action*
Sent admonishment letter.
5. MUR 4814
RESPONDENTS: (a) Friends of Jim Maloney, Patricia Draper, treasurer (CT)
(b) Barbara Kennelly for Congress, Jane L. Taylor, treasurer (CT)
(c) Committee to Re-Elect Loretta Sanchez, Kinde Dirkee, treasurer (CA)
(d) American Bankers Association BankPAC, Gary W. Fields, treasurer (DC)
(e) Thomas J. Donohue , Jr. (CT)
(f) Henry D. Lord (CT)
(g) Ruth Lord (CT)
(h) James O. Gaston (CT)
(i) Edward R. Tufte (CT)
(j) Eugene Buckley (CT)
COMPLAINANTS: Connecticut Republican State Central Committee, Chris DePino, Chairman (CT)
SUBJECT: Excessive contributions; misdesignation of contributions; failure to accurately report information
DISPOSITION: (a) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[re: excessive contributions; misdesignation of contributions; failure to accurately
report information
No reason to believe*
[re: excessive contribution]
Sent admonishment letter.
(b) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[re: excessive contribution]
No reason to believe*
[re: excessive contribution]
Sent admonishment letter.
(c) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[re: excessive contribution]
Sent admonishment letter.
(d-j) No reason to believe*
[re: excessive contributions]
6. MUR 4817
RESPONDENTS: (a) North Central Illinois Laborers’ District Council Political Action Committee (NCILDC PAC), Michael LaHood, treasurer (IL)
(b) John S. Evans, NCILDC PAC Executive Board (IL)
(c) Frank Hovar, NCILDC PAC Executive Board (IL)
(d) Michael J. LaHood, NCILDC PAC Executive Board (IL)
(e) John Penn, NCILDC PAC Executive Board (IL)
(f) Vincent Gamba, NCILDC PAC Executive Board (IL)
(g) David McBride, NCILDC PAC Executive Board (IL)
(h) Mike Smith, NCILDC PAC Executive Board (IL)
(i) Laborers’ Local 32 (IL)
(j) Laborers’ Local 82 (IL)
(k) Laborers’ Local 109 (IL)
(l) Laborers’ Local 165 (IL)
(m) Laborers’ Local 231 (IL)
(n) Laborers’ Local 287 (IL)
(o) Laborers’ Local 309 (IL)
(p) Laborers’ Local 362 (IL)
(q) Laborers’ Local 393 (IL)
(r) Laborers’ Local 538 (IL)
(s) Laborers’ Local 727 (IL)
(t) Laborers’ Local 751 (IL)
(u) Laborers’ Local 852 (IL)
(v) Laborers’ Local 911 (IL)
(w) Laborers’ Local 996 (IL)
(x) Laborers’ Local 1203 (IL)
COMPLAINANT: Gregory Hasty (IL)
SUBJECT: Labor union contributions/unauthorized use of union contributions
DISPOSITION: (a-x) No reason to believe*
7. MUR 4897
RESPONDENTS: Baesler for Senate Committee, Michael Sullivan, treasurer (KY)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file 48-hour report (candidate loan totaling $75,000)
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $9,500 civil penalty*
8. MUR 4904
RESPONDENTS: Halter Marine Group, Inc. PAC (HALPAC) and its treasurer (MS)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file disclosure report timely
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $1,500 civil penalty*
9. MUR 4907
RESPONDENTS: Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee, Joseph Chavez, treasurer (CO)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file disclosure report timely
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $3,500 civil penalty*
10. MUR 4918
RESPONDENTS: (a) Buchanan Compliance Fund ’92, Angela M. "Bay"
Buchanan, treasurer (VA)
(b) Buchanan Compliance Fund ’96, Angela M. "Bay" Buchanan, treasurer (VA)
(c) Helen O’Donnell (FL)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (Audit)
SUBJECT: Excessive contributions
DISPOSITION: (a) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
Sent admonishment letter.
(b) No reason to believe*
(c) Took no action*
*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.
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