FEC Releases Compliance Cases
For Immediate Release: Contact: Kelly Huff
March 6, 2000 Ron Harris
Sharon Snyder
Ian Stirton
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 3774
RESPONDENTS: (a) National Republican Senatorial Committee, Stan Huckaby, treasurer (DC)
(b) National Right to Life Committee, Inc. (NRLC) (DC)
(c) American Defense Foundation (DC)
(d) Coalitions for America (DC)
(e) Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, Inc. (MN)
(f) Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Committee for a Pro-Life Congress, Jacqueline Schweitz, treasurer (MN)
(g) Good Government Committee and its treasurer (AL)
(h) Christian Coalition (VA)
(i) Free Congress Foundation/National Empowerment Television (DC)
(j) National Right to Life Committee PAC, Amarie Natividad,
treasurer (DC)
(k) Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Federal PAC, Frederick Pfister, treasurer (PA)
(l) Curt Anderson (MD)
(m) Honorable Philip Gramm, Chairman, National Republican Senatorial Committee (DC)
(n) Rod Grams for U.S. Senate Committee, L. Maria Taubenberger, treasurer (MN)
(o) Santorum ’94, Judith M. McVerry, treasurer (PA)
COMPLAINANT: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
SUBJECT: Failure to allocate payments to third party for get-out-the-vote (GOTV)
activities; use of prohibited and impermissible funds in connection with federal elections; corporate contributions; failure to make expenditures
in connection with federal elections from federal account; failure to register and report
DISPOSITION: (a) Conciliation Agreement: $ 20,000 civil penalty*
Respondents will transfer $ 88,207.60 from federal account to non-federal account.
[The Commission found probable cause to believe that the Respondents’ disbursement of 100% non-federal funds to the NRLC
in 1994, which the NRLC used to finance get out the vote activities, was not in accordance with the Act and Commission’s regulations.
Respondents have contended that no such violations occurred under the law and existing regulations, or were by the record in this
matter. However, in order to settle this matter, Respondents will not further contest the Commission’s probable cause findings.]
(b-d) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[re: corporate contributions]
(e-f) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[re: corporate contributions; failure to make expenditures in connection with federal elections from federal account]
(g) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[re: failure to register and report]
(h-i) No reason to believe*
[re: any violation of the Act]
(j-o) Took no action*
2. MUR 4434
RESPONDENTS: (a) Daniel M. Doyle (FL)
(b) Mark Sharpe for Congress (1994), Mark Brown, treasurer (FL)
(c) Outback Steakhouse of Florida, Inc. (FL)
(d) Joseph Kadow (FL)
(e) Robert Basham (FL)
(f) Chris Sullivan (FL)
(g) Kimberlee A. Brown (MA)
(h) Kevin P. Harron (MA)
(i) Mark Sharpe (FL)
(j) Friends for Mark Sharpe (1996), Elizabeth Dillard, treasurer (FL)
COMPLAINANT: Nick Baldick of the Florida Democratic Party (FL)
SUBJECT: Corporate contributions/corporate facilitation; excessive contributions;
contributions in the name of another; failure to accurately provide contributor information/failure to employ "best efforts" in obtaining
contributor information
DISPOSITION: (a) Conciliation Agreement: $ 4,000 civil penalty*
(knowing and willful)
[re: excessive contributions/contributions in the name of another]
(b) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[re: corporate contributions; failure to accurately provide contributor information/failure to employ "best efforts" in obtaining contributor information]
No reason to believe*
[re: failure to accurately report contribution/contribution in the name of another with respect to contribution from Kimberlee Brown]
(c-f) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
[corporate contributions/corporate facilitation]
Sent admonishment letters.
(g-h) No reason to believe*
[re: contribution in the name of another]
(i-j) Took no action*
3. MUR 4693 [See MURS 4737 and 4868]
RESPONDENTS: Washington State Republican Party - Federal Account, Al Symington, treasurer (WA)
COMPLAINANT: Washington State Democratic Central Committee, Paul Berendt, Chair (WA)
SUBJECT: Improper transfer of non-federal funds to federal account; excessive non-
federal fund transfers to federal account for shared activities
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $ 80,000 civil penalty*
[This conciliation agreement is a joint agreement for MURs 4693, 4737,and 4868]
[re: receipt of funds improperly transferred from non-federal account;
excessive non-federal transfers containing excessive individual, PAC and corporate contributions]
4. MUR 4737 [See MURS 4693 and 4868]
RESPONDENTS: Washington State Republican Party - Federal Account, Al Symington, treasurer (WA)
COMPLAINANT: Washington State Democratic Central Committee, Paul Berendt, Chair (WA)
SUBJECT: Receipt of impermissible loan by federal account from non-federal account
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $ 80,000 civil penalty*
[This conciliation agreement is a joint agreement for MURs 4693, 4737,and 4868]
[re: receipt of funds improperly transferred from non-federal account;
excessive non-federal transfers containing excessive individual, PAC and corporate contributions]
5. MUR 4806/Pre-Mur 354
RESPONDENTS: (a) DNC Services Corporation/Democratic National Committee, Andrew Tobias, treasurer (DC)
(b) Hamilton Bank, N. A. (FL)
(c) Eduardo A. Masferrer, Chairman, Hamilton Bank, N. A. (FL)
(d) Maria F. Diaz, Senior Vice President, Finance, Hamilton Bank, N. A. (FL)
(e) Howard M. Glicken, Director, National Finance Board, DNC (FL)
COMPLAINANT: Referral by Robert B. Serino, Deputy Chief Counsel, Comptroller of the
Currency, Administrator of National Banks
SUBJECT: National bank contribution
DISPOSITION: (a) Conciliation Agreement: $15,000 civil penalty*
(b) Conciliation Agreement: $ 5,500 civil penalty*
(c-d) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
(e) Took no action*
6. MUR 4868 [See MURs 4693 and 4737]
RESPONDENTS: Washington State Republican Party - Federal Account, Al Symington,
treasurer (WA)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Improper transfer of non-federal funds to federal account; excessive non-
federal fund transfers to federal account for shared activities
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $ 80,000 civil penalty*
[This conciliation agreement is a joint agreement for MURs 4693, 4737,and 4868]
[re: receipt of funds improperly transferred from non-federal account;
excessive non-federal transfers containing excessive individual, PAC and corporate contributions]
7. MUR 4916
RESPONDENTS: (a) Alan Keyes for President ’96, Inc., William G. Spiegel, treasurer (MN)
(b) Keyes 2000, Inc., William L. Constantine, treasurer (VA)
COMPLAINANT: Kristin R. Kazyak (VA)
SUBJECT: Failure to report debts
DISPOSITION: (a-b) Took no action*
8. MUR 4943/Pre-MUR 376
RESPONDENTS: State Democratic Executive Committee of Alabama, Anthony J. Fant,
treasurer (AL)
COMPLAINANT: Sua sponte
FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file disclosure reports timely
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $ 24,000 civil penalty*
9. MUR 4951
RESPONDENTS: Manor Healthcare Corporation Federal Political Action Committee, Frank
Jannazo, treasurer (OH)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (RAD)
SUBJECT: Failure to file disclosure reports timely; failure to have current treasurer
sign and submit several reports
DISPOSITION: Conciliation Agreement: $5,500 civil penalty*
10. MUR 4964
RESPONDENTS: (a) Perot ’96, Inc., Mike Poss, treasurer (TX)
(b) Mike Morris (TX)
COMPLAINANT: FEC Initiated (Audit)
SUBJECT: Excessive contributions (in the form of staff advances)
DISPOSITION: (a) Reason to believe knowingly accepted, but took no further action*
Sent admonishment letter.
(b) Reason to believe, but took no further action*
Sent admonishment letter.
*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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