The Friends of Lane Evans Committee Agrees to Pay $185,000 Civil Penalty
For Immediate Release Updated June 29, 2005 |
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Bob Biersack Ian Stirton Kelly Huff George Smaragdis |
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| THE FRIENDS OF LANE EVANS COMMITTEE AGREES TO PAY $185,000 CIVIL PENALTY |
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WASHINGTON -- On June 27, 2005, the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois signed a consent judgment reflecting an agreement between the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Friends of Lane Evans Committee, the 17th District Victory Fund, and the Rock Island Democratic Central Committee. The agreement settles litigation (FEC v. Friends of Lane Evans, et al. No. 04-cv-4003), initiated by the FEC, charging the committees with violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). Friends of Lane Evans will pay a $185,000 civil penalty for violations by the Evans campaign and the 17th District Victory Fund, while the Rock Island Democratic Central Committee has agreed to a $30,000 civil penalty for its role in the violations. The FEC contended that the Evans Committee created the Victory Fund during the 1998 election cycle in order to assist with the Congressman’s reelection campaign. The Evans Committee then largely directed the Victory Fund’s operations during the 1998 and 2000 election cycles. During this period the Victory Fund raised and spent more than $500,000. Congressman Evans and his staff raised a majority of the money contributed to the Victory Fund, including more than $200,000 in labor union treasury funds, which are prohibited in federal campaigns. The Victory Fund spent at least $330,000 on voter identification and get-out-the-vote activities promoting Congressman Evans. The FEC found that these campaign focused activities were so closely coordinated with the campaign that they represented contributions from the Victory Fund to Evans. The contributions exceeded federal limits and included funds from prohibited sources, in violation of FECA. The Commission also found that the Rock Island Democratic Central Committee and the Evans campaign coordinated spending of approximately $18,000 on radio and newspaper ads and direct mail that advocated Evans’ election. This coordinated spending represented excessive contributions, and the Rock Island Committee also failed to register with the Commission and file regular disclosure reports on its financial activity as required by law. The judgment, signed by U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade, specifies these violations of the FECA. Defendants agreed to the settlement without admitting or denying the findings of the court. A copy of the consent judgment is available from the Commission’s Press Office at (202) 694-1220. |
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