Staff Director testifies on Senate e-filing

On March 14, 2007, FEC Staff Director Patrina Clark testified at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration concerning electronic filing of Senate campaign finance reports. Senate committees are the only filers not permitted to file their official FEC reports electronically. Electronic filing is an option for all other committees, and is mandatory for those with more than $50,000 of activity in a calendar year.

For many years, the Commission has included in its legislative recommendations a proposal to require electronic filing for Senate committees that exceed the $50,000 threshold. As Ms. Clark noted in her testimony, electronic filing speeds disclosure and is more efficient for committees, the Commission and the public. Ms. Clark also assured committee members that the agency’s existing electronic filing infrastructure would be sufficient to handle Senate filings, should Congress amend the law to offer that option.