Week of July 10 – July 14, 2017

Commission meetings and hearings

• On July 11 and 13, the Commission held an executive session.
  
• On July 13, the Commission held an open meeting.
  

Advisory opinions

Advisory opinion issued

Advisory Opinion 2017-07 (Sergeant at Arms)

On July 13, the Commission discussed four drafts of a response to an advisory opinion request from the Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Commission concluded that Members of Congress may use campaign funds to pay for costs associated with installing or upgrading and monitoring a security system at the Members’ residences without such payments constituting an impermissible conversion of campaign funds to personal use. During today’s discussion, the Commission heard from the requestor.

Advisory opinions considered

Advisory Opinion Request 2017-05 (Great America PAC and Committee to Defend the President)

On July 13, the Commission discussed two drafts of a response to an advisory request from two non-connected political committees, but held the matter over until a future meeting. The request asks several questions with respect to the use of Twitter handles in disclaimers and whether disclaimers are required on Twitter pages. During the discussion, the Commission heard from Counsel for the requestors.

Enforcement

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

MUR 6818

• COMPLAINANT: Erin Clements
  
• RESPONDENTS: Allen Weh, Allen Weh for Senate and Rebecca Sanchez, in her official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); CSI Aviation Services, Inc. (CSI); Diego Espinoza; and Jerry W. Bettman
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Weh failed to file a Statement of Candidacy in a timely manner and that the Committee failed to file its first disclosure report in a timely manner, failed to properly itemize payroll expenditures, and accepted corporation contributions from Weh’s company, CSI Aviation, Inc., as well as an excessive contribution from Bettman. Weh was a 2014 candidate for New Mexico’s United States Senate seat.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the allegation relating to the itemization of payroll expenditures. The Commission observed that the Committee filed corrective amendments addressing the requirement to itemize payroll disbursements. The Commission found no reason to believe Wei or the Committee failed to file any report in an untimely manner because the available information does not suggest that Weh’s campaign raised or spent $5,000, the threshold for filing, prior to January 2014, when they filed their first statements. The Commission also found no reason to believe CSI made or the Committee or Espinoza accepted a prohibited corporate contribution because the available information does not suggest Espinoza was paid by CSI to perform work for the Committee or that he utilized CSI resources for the Committee’s benefit. Finally, the Commission found no reason to believe Bettman made or the Committee accepted an excessive contribution because the available information suggests the Committee followed the proper procedures for a timely, presumptive redesignation of a potentially excessive contribution.
  

MUR 7186

• COMPLAINANT: Charles R. Conner III, Esq., Executive Director, Maryland Democratic Party
  
• RESPONDENTS: Kathy Szeliga; and Kathy for Maryland and Paul Kilgore, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Szeliga and the Committee aired a television advertisement that failed to include a written statement that Szeliga approved the advertisement. Szeliga was a 2016 candidate for Maryland’s United States Senate seat.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter.
  

MUR 7230

• COMPLAINANT: Kerry D. Bowers
  
• RESPONDENTS: National Public Radio (NPR); and Audie Cornish
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that NPR and Cornish made a contribution to Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign by mischaracterizing Cruz as the first Republican to announce a presidential candidacy and the first “official” candidate for President in 2016.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe a violation occurred because NPR’s and Cornish’s activities in this matter fall within the media exemption.
  

Rulemaking and agency procedures

Proposed Interim Enforcement Policy for “Volunteer Mail” Exemption. On July 13, the Commission held over discussion of two drafts of a proposed interim enforcement policy regarding the exemption from the definition of "contribution" and "expenditure" for the payment by a State or local committee of a political party of the costs of certain campaign materials used by such committee in connection with volunteer activities on behalf of nominees of such party.

Educational programs

• On July 12, the Commission hosted a FECFile Webinar for PACs and Party Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.
  

Commissioners’ statements

• Discussion of Commission’s Response to Alleged Foreign Interference in American Elections. On July 13, the Commission discussed a Memorandum from Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub concerning the Commission’s response to alleged foreign interference in American elections. Vice Chair Caroline C. Hunter and Commissioners Lee E. Goodman and Matthew S. Petersen issued a Statement on this discussion and topic.
  

Outreach

• On July 10, Commissioner Weintraub met with the leadership team from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and its Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to discuss the findings from their final report on the 2016 U.S. election.
  
• On July 12, Commissioner Weintraub discussed campaign finance disclosure rules and the role of the Commission with a group of leaders from various countries. The group is visiting the United States as part of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program's Accountability in Government.
  

Press releases

• FEC Issues Advisory Opinion (issued July 13)
  

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 at this time. The use of the agency’s logo, name, and likeness on other mediums has not been authorized by the FEC.

Upcoming educational programs

• August 2: Candidate 101 Webinar: Getting Started. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.
  
• August 30-31: Chicago Regional Conference for candidates, parties and separate segregated funds. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.
  

Upcoming reporting due dates

• July 15: July Quarterly Reports are due. For information on quarterly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Quarterly Reporting page of the Commission website.
  
• July 20: July Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.
  
• July 31: Mid-Year reports are due. For more information on semiannual reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Semiannual Reporting page of the Commission website.
  

Additional research materials

The Official 2016 Presidential General Election Results are available in the Library section of the website. This listing was compiled from the official vote totals published by state election offices.

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

The 2017 edition of the Combined Federal State Disclosure and Election Directory is available on the new Commission website. 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. Sign up to receive email notification when new Record articles are posted.

The 2017 edition of Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations can be downloaded from the website. To order printed copies, call (800) 424-9530 (press 6) or send an email to info@fec.gov.