FEC votes on proposed interim final rule on repayment of candidate loans, discusses advisory opinion request

WASHINGTON – At its open meeting today, the Federal Election Commission discussed and voted on a Proposed Interim Final Rule on repayment of candidate loans, and discussed and held over an advisory opinion request regarding the allocation of research expenses between a national party committee and candidates' authorized committees. The Commission held over discussion of a proposed Interim Final Rule on independent expenditure reporting, a proposed final audit report, and an initial determination of eligibility to receive primary election funds.

Proposed Interim Final Rule: Independent Expenditure Reporting The Commission held over discussion of a proposed Interim Final Rule to amend a regulation requiring that certain persons making independent expenditures disclose on their reports the identification of each person who made a contribution over $200 to the persons filing such reports “for the purpose of furthering the reported independent expenditure.” The Commission is considering the proposed Interim Final Rule to comply with the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which affirmed a district court decision holding that the disclosure regulation was invalid.

Proposed Interim Final Rule: Repayment of Candidate Loans The Commission discussed and voted on a proposed Interim Final Rule on repayment of candidate loans to remove regulatory restrictions on authorized committees’ repayment of candidates’ personal loans to the committees following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Federal Election Commission v. Ted Cruz for Senate, but did not approve the proposed rule by the requisite four affirmative votes. Commissioner Sean J. Cooksey issued a Statement.

Advisory Opinion Request 2022-05 (DSCC) The Commission discussed and held over Advisory Opinion Request 2022-05, a request from the DSCC, a national political party committee that plans to hire a consultant to write a research book regarding a sitting U.S. senator and to use the book both to inform its own strategy in that senator’s state and to provide the book to two candidates for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in that state.

Proposed Final Audit Report on Mike Braun for Indiana. The Commission held over the proposed final audit report until the next open meeting.

Initial Determination on Eligibility to Receive Primary Election Public Funds - Howie Hawkins, Howie Hawkins 2020 The Commission held over until the next open meeting discussion of an Initial Determination that Hawkins, a 2020 candidate for U.S. President, is not eligible to receive payments of matching funds.