Week of January 25-29, 2021

Commission meetings and hearings

On January 26 and 28, the Commission met in executive session.

On January 28, the Commission held an open meeting and an audit hearing.

Advisory Opinions

Supplemental Material Received

Advisory Opinion Request 2021-01 (Aluminate, Inc.) On January 28, the requestor submitted supplemental material relating to Aluminate, Inc.’s request on whether it may use certain data from FEC reports in providing services to universities, colleges, and not-for-profit organizations.

Enforcement

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

MUR 7622

COMPLAINANT: Nicole McConnell
RESPONDENTS: Judson Sapp for Congress and Nancy Watkins, in her official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); Citizens for Common Sense USA and Sloane Skinner Carlough, in her official capacity as treasurer (Citizens); and Judson Sapp
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Citizens for Common Sense USA (Citizens) was established, financed, maintained, and controlled by Sapp, a federal candidate, and that it coordinated communications with the Committee.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter in consideration of Commission priorities. The Commission noted the technical nature of the violation—Citizens misidentifying the contributor in question as Sapp, rather than Judson “Jud” Sapp, the candidate’s father—and Citizens’ amended disclosure report.

Litigation

Campaign Legal Center, et al. v. FEC (Case No. 19-2336) On January 27, Defendant-Intervenors filed a Reply in Support of Defendant-Intervenors’ Supplemental Memorandum in Further Support of Their Motion for Summary Judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Campaign Legal Center v. FEC (Case No. 20-1778) On January 27, Plaintiffs filed a Motion for an Order Declaring that Defendant has Failed to Conform to the Default Judgment Order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Audits

Draft Final Audit Report on the Grassroots Victory PAC. On January 28, the Commission held a hearing to discuss the Draft Final Audit Report of the Audit Division on the Grassroots Victory PAC, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. The draft report contains a finding of Misstatement of Financial Activity – Increased Activity.

Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum on the Mississippi Republican Party. On January 28, the Commission approved an Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum on the Mississippi Republican Party, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016. The Commission approved findings relating to misstatement of financial activity and the reporting of debts and obligations. The Commission was unable to agree by four votes to include a third proposed finding: “Reporting of Apparent Independent Expenditures."

Press Releases

FEC holds audit hearing, approves Audit Division recommendation memorandum (issued January 28)

Public Disclosure

On January 27, the Commission issued the 2021 Federal Election Commission Policy Statement on Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity.

Upcoming educational programs

March 3, 2021: The Commission will hold a webinar for corporations and their PACs.

Upcoming Commission meetings

February 9, 2021: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

February 23, 2021: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

February 25, 2021: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

Upcoming reporting due dates

January 31, 2021: Year-End Reports are due. Staff in the Reports Analysis Division and Electronic Filing Office will be available until 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, January 29 to answer questions regarding the content and filing of reports. To reach RAD, call 1-800-424-9530 (press 5) or 202-694-1130. For help with technical issues relating to electronic filing, dial the same toll-free number and press 4.

Status of agency operations

See the Commission’s statement on the status of agency operations, updated on January 4, 2021. At this stage, most agency staff remain in telework status and the Commission’s office remains closed to visitors.

Additional research materials

Contribution Limits. In addition to the current limits, the Commission has posted an archive of contribution limits that were in effect going back to the 1975-1976 election cycles.

Federal Elections 2018: Election Results for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives is available. The data was compiled from the official vote totals published by state election offices.

FEC Notify: Want to be notified by email when campaign finance reports are received by the agency? Sign up here.

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

The 2020 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.

Other election-related resources

Videos on protecting U.S. elections. The FBI’s Protected Voices initiative provides videos designed to help political campaigns protect themselves from foreign influence. The 2019 videos offer guidance on ransomware, business email compromise, supply chain, social media literacy, and foreign influence operations. Other videos, released in 2018, include cyber hygiene topics such as social engineering, patching, router hardening, and app and browser safety.

Join the FEC on Twitter and YouTube

Follow @FEC on Twitter to receive the latest information on agency updates, news releases, and weekly activity. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, FECTube: FECConnect on Demand, to watch instructional videos that have been designed to help candidates and committees comply with federal campaign finance laws. Note that the FEC is not currently available through other social media platforms. The use of the agency’s logo, name, and likeness on other media has not been authorized by the FEC.