Week of July 17 – July 21, 2017

Commission meetings and hearings

No Commission open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week.

Enforcement 

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

MUR 7152

• ·COMPLAINANT: W.H. McAbee III
  
• ·RESPONDENTS: Jenny Horne for Congress and Milinda A. Sullivan, in her official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); Hearn & Hearn, P.A.; Hodge & Langley Law Firm, P.C.; Ronnie A. Sabb; and Law Offices of Ronnie A. Sabb, LLC
  
• ·SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that three law firms and one lawyer made and the Committee accepted prohibited and excessive contributions. The complaint alleged further that the Committee misreported receipts. Horne was a 2016 primary candidate for South Carolina’s 1^st Congressional District.
  
• ·DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter as to Hodge & Langley Law Firm, P.C. and Hearn & Hearn, P.A. in consideration of Commission priorities. The Commission also dismissed the allegation that the Committee misreported receipts. The Commission observed that the Committee treasurer took appropriate steps to determine the legality of the contributions at issue and made timely refunds. The Commission found no reason to believe the Committee accepted prohibited or excessive contributions or that Sabb or the Law Offices of Ronnie A. Sabb, LLC made a prohibited or excessive contribution because the Committee provided information showing that Saab made only one, $2,700 contribution through his law partnership and that a second report of a contribution stemmed from a typographical error. The Commission reminded the Committee to amend its disclosure reports to reflect the refunded contributions and to correct the misreporting of the $2,700 contribution made by the Law Offices of Ronnie A. Sabb.
  

Administrative fines

The Commission made public 17 campaign finance enforcement matters that were resolved through its Administrative Fines (AF) program, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

AF 3235 

America Comes First PAC and David W. Schamens, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,176.

AF 3236

American Principles and Eytan Laor, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $654.

AF 3237

Believe in Life Liberty Yourself (BILLY PAC) and Jered Taylor, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,176.

AF 3238

CNA Financial Corporation Citizens for Good Government and Karen Melchert, in her official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,829.

AF 3239

Communication Workers of America Local 13000 and Maria MacCrory, in her official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,176.

AF 3240

Connell Foley PAC, a New Jersey Non-Profit Corporation and John P. Lacey, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $654.

AF 3241

GCI PAC and Chris Nierman, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $654.

AF 3242

Government Is Not God and Nancy Murray, in her official as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $784.

AF 3243

Independent Electrical Contractors Inc PAC (IEC Pride PAC) and Jason Todd, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $784.

AF 3244

Invesco PLC PAC and Doug Kidd, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $784.

AF 3245

Louisianians for American Security Political Action Committee and Hans Sternberg, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $654.

AF 3246

Middle Class America PAC and Jim Broeking, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,176.

AF 3247

National Cannabis Industry Association PAC and Michael J. Correia, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $654.

AF 3248

Patriots Leading A Majority and Louis Schiazza, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,829.

AF 3250

Rock City PAC and Kimberly Kaegi, in her official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,829.

AF 3251

Russ Victory Fund and John W. Miller, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $15,282.

AF 3252

SEAL PAC Supporting Electing American Leaders PAC and Barbara P. Lazaris, in her official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $12,503.

Alternative dispute resolution

The Commission made public one campaign finance enforcement matter that was resolved through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

ADR 820

• COMPLAINANT: FEC-Initiated
  
• RESPONDENTS: Working Families Party Independent Expenditure Committee and Mike Boland, in his official capacity as treasurer (The Committee)
  
• SUBJECT: The Committee failed to file one 24-hour report to support one independent expenditure.
  
• DISPOSITION: The respondent agreed to (1) develop and certify implementation of a compliance operations manual that includes internal controls consistent with the Commission’s Internal Controls and Political Committees advisory document and Best Practices for Committee Management, (2) certify that a representative of the Committee participated in an FEC conference, webinar, or other program developed in consultation with the FEC’s Information Division, and (3) pay a civil penalty of $3,350.
  

Litigation

• Center for Public Integrity v. FEC (Case 1:17-cv-01162-CRC). On July 19, the Commission filed its Answer in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
  
• FEC v. Rivera (Case 1:17-cv-22643-RNS). On July 14, the Commission filed a Complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
  
• Lieu, et al. v. FEC (Case 1:16-cv-02201-EGS). On July 17, the Commission filed a Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaint for Lack of Jurisdiction in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
  

Outreach

On July 18, Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub testified at the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee hearing entitled “Democracy For Sale: How Our Broken Campaign Finance System Allows Foreign Governments to Buy Influence in Our Elections and What We Can Do About It.” The hearing took place in Washington D.C.

Campaign finance reports

On 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.

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 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.

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.