Week of October 16 – October 20, 2017

Commission meetings and hearings

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

Advisory opinions

Draft

Advisory Opinion 2017-11 (Gallegly for Congress)

On October 17, the Commission made public a draft of Advisory Opinion 2017-11 (Gallegly for Congress). The requestor, a former Member of Congress, asks whether he may use campaign funds to repair a home security system.

Enforcement

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

MUR 7099

• COMPLAINANTS: Campaign Legal Center, by J. Gerald Herbert; Democracy 21, by Fred Wertheimer; and Paul S. Ryan
  
• RESPONDENTS: Suffolk Construction Company, Inc. (Suffolk); and Priorities USA Action and Greg Speed, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Suffolk made prohibited federal contractor contributions to the Committee totaling $200,000, and that the Committee may have knowingly solicited the federal contractor contributions.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission entered into a conciliation agreement providing for Suffolk to pay a civil penalty of $34,000. The Commission found no reason to believe the Committee knowingly solicited the federal contractor contributions because there was not information in the available record to support the allegation.
  

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 811

• COMPLAINANT: FEC-Initiated
  
• RESPONDENT: Lone Star Committee
  
• SUBJECT: The respondent failed to timely file a 24-Hour Notice of Disbursements/Obligations for Electioneering Communications totaling $48,655.39 to support three (3) disbursements for an electioneering communication.
  
• DISPOSITION: The respondent agreed to pay a civil penalty of $250.
  

Litigation

• Level the Playing Field, et al. v. FEC (Case 1:15-cv-01397-TSC). On October 13, the Commission filed its Motion for Summary Judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
  
• Libertarian National Committee, Inc. v. FEC (Case 1:16-cv-00121-BAH). On October 19, the Plaintiff filed a Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Opposition to Commission's Motion to Dismiss and in Reply to Commission's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion to Certify Facts and Questions in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
  

Commissioners’ statements

On October 19, Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub issued a Statement regarding introduction of the Honest Ad Act.

Outreach

• On October 18, Chairman Steven T. Walther and Communications Specialist Myles Martin discussed campaign finance disclosure rules and the role of the Commission with a delegation from Tunisia. The delegation is visiting the United States as part of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
  
• On October 18, Communications Specialists Paul Stoetzer and Zainab Smith discussed the role and work of the Commission with a delegation from the Central African Republic. The group is visiting the United States as part of the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program.
  

Campaign finance reports

• On October 20: October Monthly Reports were due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

• October 24: The Commission is scheduled to hold an executive session.
• October 26: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting and executive session.

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

Upcoming educational programs

• November 14-15: Washington, DC Regional Conference for candidates, parties and separate segregated funds. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

• December 6: Nonconnected PAC Webinar. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

Upcoming reporting due dates

• November 20: November Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

• December 20: December Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Monthly 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.

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.