FEC cites committees in Georgia and Texas for failing to file pre-election financial reports
The Federal Election Commission has cited four campaign committees for failing to file pre-election reports as required by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act).
Three campaign committees were cited by the Commission for failing to file the 12-Day Pre-Primary Report required for Georgia’s primary election that is being held on May 24, 2016.
As of May 19, 2016, the required disclosure report had not been received from:
- Grayson for Senate Committee (GA)
- Anders for Congress, Inc. (GA-03)
- Mary Kay Bacallao for US Senate (GA)
The Georgia pre-primary report was due on May 12, 2016, and should have included financial activity for the period April 1, 2016, through May 4, 2016. If sent by certified or registered mail, the report should have been postmarked by May 9, 2016. The Commission notified committees involved in Georgia’s primary election of their potential filing requirements on April 18, 2016. Those committees that did not file by the due date were sent notification on May 13, 2016, that their reports had not been received and that their names would be published if they did not respond within four business days.
Also, the Commission has cited a campaign committee for failing to file the 12-Day Pre-Runoff Report for Texas’s runoff election that is being held on May 24, 2016.
As of May 19, 2016, the required disclosure report had not been received from:
- Gonzales for Congress (TX-18)
The Texas pre-runoff report was due on May 12, 2016, and should have included financial activity for the period April 1, 2016, through May 4, 2016. If sent by certified or registered mail, the report should have been postmarked by May 9, 2016. The Commission notified committees involved in Texas’s runoff election of their potential filing requirements on January 25, 2016. Those committees that did not file by the due date were sent notification on May 13, 2016, that their 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 campaign finance law, even though their names may appear on state ballots. If an individual raises or spends $5,000 or less, 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 quarterly 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.
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