Week of April 30 - May 4, 2018

Commission meetings and hearings

Commission meetings or hearings were scheduled this week

Advisory Opinions

Drafts

Advisory Opinion Request 2018-06 (Shirley). On May 3, the Commission made public a draft of Advisory Opinion Request 2018-06 (Shirley).  Liuba Grechen Shirley, a candidate for the House of Representatives, asks whether campaign funds may be used to pay for the candidate's child care expenses.

Enforcement

The Commission made public one closed case, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

MUR 7167

• COMPLAINANT: Linda Lou Brown
  
• RESPONDENTS: Roy Blunt; Friends of Roy Blunt, Inc. and Gordon A. Elliot, in his official capacity as treasurer (FRB); Susan B. Anthony List, Inc. (SBA List); and Women Speak Out PAC and Emily Buchanan, in her official capacity as treasurer (WSO)
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that SBA List, a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, and WSO, an independent expenditure-only political committee, made and Blunt and FRB accepted coordinated corporate contributions when SBA List and WSO disbursed funds to support Blunt. The complaint alleged further that Blunt solicited soft-money contributions, or contributions outside the source and amount limitations of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), by asking the president of SBA List to raise money for his campaign. Blunt was a 2016 candidate for Missouri’s United States Senate seat.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe the respondents made or accepted coordinated communications because there was insufficient information to establish that the conduct prong of the coordination regulations was met. The Commission also found no reason to believe Blunt solicited non-federal funds in connection with a federal election because there was insufficient information to support that allegation and Blunt denied wrongdoing.
  

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

• May 8, 2018: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.
  
• May 10, 2018: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.
  

Meeting dates are subject to change. Please contact the Press Office the week of the scheduled meeting for confirmation.

Upcoming reporting due dates

• May 20: May Monthly Reports are due.
  

For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2018 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

Upcoming educational programs

• On May 9, the Commission will host a webinar for treasurers, PAC staff, consultants, and others looking to understand federal rules related to corporate political action committees.
  
• On May 23, the Commission will host a webinar for trade associations and their political action committees (PACs).
  

Additional information is available on the educational outreach page of the Commission website.

Additional research materials

Additional research materials about the agency, campaign finance information, and election results are available through the Library section of the Commission website.

Printed copies of the 2018 edition of Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are now available. Contact the Commission's Information Division at (202) 694-1100 or (800) 424-9530 (press 6, when prompted) to order printed copies of the CFR at no charge. You may also email the Information Division to place an order at info@fec.gov.

The 2017 Campaign Guide for Corporations and Labor Organizations is available. Other Campaign Guides are available, as well.

The 2018 Congressional Primary Election Dates list is available.

Federal Elections 2016: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is available. The data was compiled from the official vote totals published by state election offices. To order a printed copy, please contact the FEC’s Public Records Office at 800/424-9530 (option 2) or 202/694-1120, or send an email to pubrec@fec.gov.

The 2017 edition of the Combined Federal State Disclosure and Election Directory is available. This publication identifies the federal and state agencies responsible for the disclosure of campaign finances, lobbying, personal finances, public financing, candidates on the ballot, election results, spending on state initiatives and other financial filings.

The FEC Record is available as a continuously updated online news source.

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