Compliance Cases Made Public
For Immediate Release: Contact: Kelly Huff
January 05, 2001 Ron Harris
Sharon Snyder
Ian Stirton
COMPLIANCE CASES MADE PUBLIC
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission has recently made public its final action
on 27 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 4922
RESPONDENTS: Suburban O’Hare Commission, John C. Geils, Chairman (IL)
COMPLAINANT: Brent Christensen (IL)
SUBJECT: Corporate contribution, failure to report independent expenditures,
disclaimer
DISPOSITION: Failed to pass motion to find reason to believe*
2. MUR 4934
RESPONDENTS: (a) Angel Morey (PR)
(b) Honorable Carlos Romero-Barecelo (PR)
(c) Comite Eleccion de Carlos Romero-Barcelo el Congresso, Inc.,
Miguel J. Carbonell, treasurer (PR)
(d) Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Mateo (PR)
(e) Domingo Garcia Camacho (PR)
(f) Andres Sanchez Delgado (PR)
COMPLAINANT: Honorable Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
SUBJECT: Excessive contributions
DISPOSITION: (a) No reason to believe*
(b-f) Took no action*
3. MUR 4960
RESPONDENTS: (a) Hillary Rodham Clinton (DC)
(b) Hillary Rodham Clinton for US Senate Exploratory Committee, William J. Cunningham,
III, treasurer (DC)
(c) Kaki Hockersmith (AR)
(d) Carolyn Huber (TX)
COMPLAINANTS: Judicial Watch, Thomas J. Fitton, President and Robert J.
Corry, Jr., Esq (DC)
SUBJECT: Excessive contributions (in the form of a loan and services rendered)
DISPOSITION: (a-d) No reason to believe*
4. MUR 4967
RESPONDENTS: Mississippi Democratic Party Political Action Committee, Jodie
Robinson, treasurer (MS)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file disclosure reports timely
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $20,000 civil penalty*
5. MUR 4972
RESPONDENTS: (a) Darrell E. Issa (CA)
(b) Issa for Congress, Betty Presley, treasurer (CA)
(c) Bill Horn for US Senate, Ralph G. Jensen, treasurer (CA)
(d) Scott Taylor (CA)
COMPLAINANTS: Bill Morrow, Bill Morrow for Congress Committee (CA)
SUBJECT: Failure to accurately report disbursements; excessive contributions
DISPOSITION: (a-d) No reason to believe*
6. MUR 5030
RESPONDENTS: Bob Greenlee for Congress Committee, Claire Beckman, treasurer (CO)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file 48-hour reports
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $3,800 civil penalty*
7. MUR 5095
RESPONDENTS: American Federation of Government Employees’ Political Action
Committee, Bobby L. Harnage, treasurer (DC)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file disclosure report timely
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $ 1,250 civil penalty*
8. MUR 5129 / Pre- MUR 394
RESPONDENTS: Larry E. Johnson for Congress Congressional Committee, Marcia J.
Johnson, treasurer (CO)
COMPLAINANTS: Sua sponte
SUBJECT: Disclaimer
DISPOSITION: Reason to believe, but took no further action*
Sent admonishment letter.
The Enforcement Priority System (EPS) rates all incoming cases against objective
criteria to determine whether they warrant use of the Commission’s limited resources.
Cases dismissed under EPS fall into two categories: low-rated cases and stale cases.
Low rated cases are those that do not warrant use of the Commission’s resources to
pursue because of their lower significance relative to other pending matters. Stale cases
are those that initially received a higher rating but have remained unassigned for a
significant period due to a lack of staff resources for effective investigation. Effective
enforcement relies upon the timely pursuit of complaints and referrals to ensure
compliance with the law. Investigations concerning activity more remote in time usually
require a greater commitment of resources, primarily due to the fact that the evidence of
such activity becomes more difficult to develop as it ages. The utility of commencing an
investigation declines as these cases age, until they reach a point when activation of a
case would not be an efficient use of the Commission’s resources. As cases reach this
point, they are recommended for dismissal.
Dismissed - Stale
9. Pre-MUR 388
RESPONDENT:
United Steelworkers of America, Local 2285 (MA)
COMPLAINANT: Referral by Mark Letizi, District Director, Office of
Labor-Management (MA)
SUBJECT: Union contributions
10. Pre-MUR 392
RESPONDENT: First National Bank of Johns Creek (GA)
COMPLAINANTS: Referral by Robert B. Serino, Deputy Chief Counsel, Comptroller of
the Currency, Administrator of National Banks (DC)
SUBJECT: National bank contribution
Dismissed - Low Priority
11. MUR 4892
RESPONDENTS: (a) Monica Monica MD Congress Committee, Thomas Long, treasurer (LA)
(b) Americans for Term Limits (AR)
COMPLAINANTS: Kenneth A. Weiss, Esq., on behalf of Rob Couhig and David Vitter (LA)
SUBJECT: Independent expenditure
12. MUR 4899
RESPONDENTS: (a) Texans for Good Government PAC, Floyd E. Hodges, Jr.,
treasurer (TX)
(b) Ed Hodges, Executive Director, Texans for Good Government
PAC (TX)
(c) Heidi M. Lange, Vice-Chair, Texans for Good Government
PAC (TX)
(d) Loretta S. Campbell, Chair, Texans for Good Government
PAC (TX)
(e) Honorable Pete Sessions (TX)
(f) Pete Sessions for Congress, Darby Strickland, treasurer (TX)
(g) George W. Strake, Jr. (TX)
(h) Jack Rains (TX) (i) Al G. Hill, Jr. (TX)
(j) Orlando Sanchez (TX) (k) Ray Allen (TX)
(l) Ron Clark (TX) (m) Gary Elkins (TX)
(n) Will Harnett (TX) (o) Talmadge Heflin (TX)
(p) Carl Islett (TX) (q) Elvira Reyna (TX)
(r) James L. Blythe, Sr. (TX) (s) Alfonso Jackson (TX)
(t) Dan and Gail Cook (TX) (u) Felix Chen (TX)
COMPLAINANTS: Texas Democratic Party, Molly Beth Malcom, Chair (TX)
SUBJECT: Failure to register and report; use of non-federal (state) funds for a
federal election; disclaimer; corporate contributions; excessive contributions; issue ads
13. MUR 4930
RESPONDENTS: (a) Clinton/Gore ’96 General Committee, Joan Pollitt, treasurer
(DC)
(b) American Federation of Teachers (DC)
(c) International Brotherhood of Teamsters (DC)
COMPLAINANT: Philip L. Stimac (CA)
SUBJECT: Union contributions
14. MUR 4945
RESPONDENTS: (a) Joe Baca (CA)
(b) Friends of Joe Baca, William P. Smith, treasurer (CA)
COMPLAINANTS: Donald F. McGahn, II, General Counsel, National Republican
Congressional Committee (DC)
SUBJECT: Disclaimer; use of state taxpayer funds for federal election
15. MUR 4954
RESPONDENTS: (a) Ulster County Republican Committee, Mabel Osterhudt, treasurer
(NY)
(b) Peter J. Savageo, Chairman, Ulster County Republican Committee (NY)
(c) Rensselaer County Republican Committee and its treasurer (NY)
(d) James A. Walsh, Chairman, Rensselaer County Republican Committee (NY)
(e) George W. Bush for President, Inc. David Herndon, treasurer (TX)
COMPLAINANTS: William A. Dal Col, President, Forbes 2000, Inc. (VA)
SUBJECT: Excessive contributions; corporate contributions; disclaimer
16. MUR 4958
RESPONDENT: Peter Roskam (IL)
COMPLAINANTS: Jeff Shulem, Chief Financial Officer, Data + Imagination, Inc. (IL)
SUBJECT: Failure to disclose and pay debts
17. MUR 4971
RESPONDENTS: (a) Bill Morrow (CA)
(b) Bill Marrow for Congress, William J. Marvin, treasurer (CA)
(c) Russo Marsh & Associates, Inc. (CA)
(d) Salvatore E. Russo, President, Russo Marsh & Associates, Inc.(CA)
(e) Anthony Marsh, Vice President, Russo Marsh & Associates, Inc. (CA)
(f) Dave Wolfson (CA) (g) Matt Keelen (CA)
(h) Keith Battle (CA) (i) Matt Zandi (CA)
(j) Heather Cope (CA)
COMPLAINANTS: Dale Neugebauer, Campaign Manager, Darrell Issa for US Congress (CA)
SUBJECT: Failure to itemize or report disbursments; corporate contributions
18. MUR 4975
RESPONDENTS: (a) Honorable Mike Honda (CA)
(b) Mike Honda for Congress, James E. Towery, treasurer (CA)
COMPLAINANTS: Ash Pirayou, General Counsel, Peacock for Congress (CA)
SUBJECT: (a-b) Disclaimers
19. MUR 4980
RESPONDENTS: Mike Honda for Congress, James E. Towery, treasurer (CA)
COMPLAINANTS: Ash Pirayou, General Counsel, Peacock for Congress (CA)
SUBJECT: Failure to provide contributor information and demonstrate best efforts
20. MUR 4985
RESPONDENTS: (a) Dooley for Congress, Evert L. Ballard, treasurer (MO)
(b) Charlie A. Dooley (MO)
(c) McCullough for Prosecutor Committee and treasurer (MO)
(d) Citizens for Buzz Westfall, Michael W. Flynn, treasurer (MO)
(e) Shalowitz for State Senate Committee, Jonathan Becker,
treasurer (MO)
(f) Diane Ryll (MO)
(g) Normandy Township Regular Democratic Club, Everett Ballard, treasurer (MO)
COMPLAINANT: Rickey Jamerson (MO)
SUBJECT: Use of state (non-federal) funds in connection with federal election
21. MUR 4986
RESPONDENTS: (a) Bush for President, Inc., David Herndon, treasurer (TX)
(b) Denver Broncos (CO)
COMPLAINANT: Mrs. Marion Zeitz (CO)
SUBJECT: Corporate contribution
22. MUR 4988
RESPONDENTS: (a) Friends of Tim Johnson, James Bray, treasurer (IL)
(b) Tom Berns for State Representative, Fred Reiter, treasurer (IL)
(c) Tom Berns (IL)
COMPLAINANT: Joseph Whelan (IL)
SUBJECT: Corporate contributions; disclaimer; failure to report expenditures
23. MUR 4991
RESPONDENTS: (a) Dick Zimmer (NJ)
(b) Zimmer 2000 Inc., Maria Chappa, treasurer (NJ)
(c) Patricia M. Reilly (NJ)
(d) Brian M. Nelson (NJ)
COMPLAINANT: James F. Klein (NJ)
SUBJECT: Disclaimers
24. MUR 4993
RESPONDENTS: (a) Tom Foley (PA)
(b) Tom Foley for US Senate , Frank M. Vaccaro Jr., treasurer (PA)
(c) Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hipple LLP (PA)
COMPLAINANTS: Phil Berg, Phil Berg for US Senate (PA)
SUBJECT: Corporate/excessive contributions; failure to report disbursements;
failure to pay employee taxes
25. MUR 4995
RESPONDENTS: (a) Honorable Anthony David Weiner (NY)
(b) Friends of Weiner, Christopher Bellitti, treasurer (NY)
(c) United Snacks, Inc. (NY)
(d) M & R Management Co., Inc. (NY)
COMPLAINANT: Perry Vais (NY)
SUBJECT: Corporate contributions; use of non-federal (state) funds
26. MUR 5003
RESPONDENTS: (a) Bush for President, Inc., David Herndon, treasurer (TX)
(b) Denver Broncos (CO)
(c) Pat Bowlen , President and Chief Executive Officer,
Denver Broncos (CO)
(d) Jacor Broadcasting of Colorado, Inc. (850 KOA) (CO)
COMPLAINANT: Kai Kestutis Abelkis (CO)
SUBJECT: Corporate contribution
27. MUR 5005
RESPONDENTS: Toltz 2000, Karen Rokala, treasurer (CO)
COMPLAINANTS: Donald F. McGahn, II, General Counsel, National Republican
Congressional Committee (DC)
SUBJECT: Failure to itemize PAC contributions; failure to accurately report in-kind
contributions; excessive contribution
*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.
# # #