Week of April 21 – 25, 2025
Commission meetings and hearings
No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week.
Advisory Opinions
Opinion Issued
Advisory Opinion Request 2025-04 (Government Accountability Institute) On April 23, the Commission approved on tally vote an advisory opinion in response to a request from Government Accountability Institute. The Commission concluded that the requestor’s proposed television and radio appearances and publication of books, articles, editorials, reports, documentaries, podcasts, video shorts, and commentary on websites and social media accounts and in other news outlets fall within the “media exemption” of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act).
Draft Advisory Opinions
Advisory Opinion Request 2025-05 (Politicalmeetings.com) On April 23, the Commission made public a draft advisory opinion.
Advisory Opinion Request 2025-07 (4 Libertarian State Committees) On April 23, the Commission made public a draft advisory opinion.
Comment Received
Advisory Opinion 2025-06 (Campaign Legal Center) On April 18, the Commission received a comment on the advisory opinion request from the requestor.
Enforcement
The Commission made public four closed cases and one Statement of Reasons, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Search System.
COMPLAINANT: Joanna Weiss for Congress
RESPONDENTS: Dave Min for Congress and Josie Olsen, in their official capacity as treasurer (Federal Committee); Dave Min for Senate 2024 (State Committee); and Dave Min
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Min, a former California state senator and 2024 Congressional candidate for California’s 47th District, the State Committee and the Federal Committee violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), when the State Committee used nonfederal funds to produce and distribute two mailers promoting and supporting Min’s 2024 Congressional candidacy. The complaint alleged that this resulted in the State Committee making, and Min and the Federal Committee knowingly accepting, prohibited in-kind contributions. The complaint further alleged that the Federal Committee failed to disclose the receipt of the alleged in-kind contributions from the State Committee.
DISPOSITION: The Commission dismissed the allegations.
COMPLAINANT: Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust
RESPONDENTS: Our American Future Foundation (OAFF); New Politics Leadership Academy; Mandela Barnes; The Long Run PAC f/k/a Mandela Barnes for Wisconsin and Ellen Bravo, in her official capacity as treasurer; Cheri Beasley; Cheri Beasley for North Carolina and Lauren Decot Lee, in her official capacity as treasurer; Kirsten Engel; Engel for Arizona and Dacey Montoya, in her official capacity as treasurer; Laura Gillen; Gillen for Congress and Stuart Lang, in his official capacity as treasurer; Gillen for New York and Stuart Lang, in his official capacity as treasurer; Josh Riley; Josh Riley for Congress and Victoria Perrone, in her official capacity as treasurer; Will Rollins; Will Rollins for Congress and Jay Patterson, in his official capacity as treasurer; Tony Vargas; and Vargas for Congress and Jessica Lathrop, in her official capacity as treasurer
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that OAFF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, made payments to candidates through its program, the American Mainstream Policy Leadership Institute, under the guise of a fellowship when the true purpose was to make illegal corporate contributions to federal candidates in violation of the Act.
DISPOSITION: The Commission dismissed the allegations.
COMPLAINANT: Ann M. Ravel
RESPONDENTS: Yes on Prop 36 – Californians for Safer Communities, Sponsored by Golden State Communities f/k/a Californians to Reduce Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft, sponsored by Golden State Communities (CRHDAT); Kevin Kiley for Congress and David Bauer, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); and Kevin Kiley
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that CRHDAT, a California state ballot measure committee, Kevin Kiley, a 2024 candidate for California’s Third Congressional District, and the Committee, Kiley’s principal campaign committee, violated the Act because Kiley established, financed, maintained, or controlled (EFMC’d) CRHDAT and that, as an entity EFMC’d by a federal candidate, CRHDAT impermissibly solicited, received, and spent funds in connection with a state election which were in excess of the Act’s amount limitations and source prohibitions. The complaint further alleged that Kiley violated the Act by soliciting nonfederal funds for CRHDAT in connection with a state election.
DISPOSITION: The Commission dismissed the allegations.
COMPLAINANTS: Alexander Tomescu, United States Justice Foundation, and Policy Issues Institute
RESPONDENT: National Public Radio (NPR)
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that NPR, an independent nonprofit media organization, made prohibited in-kind corporate contributions to 2024 presidential candidates Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Harris, or failed to report independent expenditures advocating Biden and Harris, in violation of the Act. The complaint alleged that throughout the 2024 election cycle and since at least the 2020 election cycle, NPR and its employees and agents expressly advocated for the election and policies of the Democratic nominee and against those of the Republican nominee. The complaint alleged that this express advocacy does not fall within the Act’s “press exemption.” The complaint further argued that NPR is controlled by the Democratic Party and is not a bona fide news organization.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter.
MUR 8146 (ECN Capital, et al.) On April 18, Vice Chairman James E. “Trey” Trainor, III and Commissioner Allen J. Dickerson issued a Statement of Reasons.
Regulations and agency procedures
On April 23, the Commission made public a Proposed Directive Regarding Office of General Counsel Recommendations at the Initial Stage of the Enforcement Process (Pursuant to 52 U.S.C. § 30109(a)).
Litigation
DCCC v. FEC (Case No. 24-2935) On April 18, the Commission filed a Combined Reply in Support of its Motion to Dismiss and Response in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment and Intervenor-Defendant NRSC filed a Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment and in Reply in Support of NRSC’s Motion to Dismiss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Giffords v. FEC (Case No. 19-1192) On April 22, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order denying non-party National Rifle Association of America’s Motion for Relief from Orders and Judgment due to its lack of standing and denying Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to File a Surreply.
McDonald v. FEC (Case No. 25-153) On April 22, the Commission filed a Motion to Dismiss and a Memorandum in Support of its Motion to Dismiss in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Outreach
On April 23, the Commission issued the Statistical Summary of 24-Month Campaign Activity of the 2023-2024 Election Cycle.
Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings
April 29-30, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.
April 30, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.
May 20, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.
May 22, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.
Upcoming educational opportunities
April 29-30, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to host a webinar for political party committees.
May 20-21, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to host a webinar for candidate committees.
June 4, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to host a webinar for nonconnected committees.
For more information on upcoming training opportunities, see the Commission’s Trainings page.
Upcoming reporting due dates
May 20: May Monthly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2025 Monthly Reporting schedule.
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 election results are 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.
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 Presidential Election Campaign Fund Tax Checkoff Chart provides information on balance of the Fund, monthly deposits into the Fund reported by the Department of the Treasury, payments from the Fund as certified by the FEC, and participation rates of taxpayers as reported by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information on the Presidential Public Funding Program, see the Public Funding of Presidential Elections page.
The FEC Record is available as a continuously updated online news source.
Join the FEC on X and YouTube
Follow @FEC on X 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.
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- Myles Martin
- Deputy Press Officer
- Myles Martin