Week of April 7–11, 2025
Commission meetings and hearings
No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week.
Advisory Opinions
Requests Received
Advisory Opinion Request 2025-06 (Campaign Legal Center) On April 7, the Commission made public an advisory opinion request from Campaign Legal Center. The requestor asks whether it is permitted to file a complaint under 52 U.S.C. § 30109(a)(1). The Commission will accept written comments on the request during the 10-day period following publication of the request (no later than April 17) and must issue a response no later than 60 days after the receipt of the complete advisory opinion request, that is, by May 27, 2025.
Advisory Opinion Request 2025-07 (4 Libertarian State Committees) On April 8, the Commission made public an advisory opinion request from the Libertarian Party of Maryland, the Libertarian Party of Maine, the Libertarian Party of Idaho, and the Libertarian Party of Vermont (4 Libertarian State Committees). The requestors ask the Commission to confirm their status as state committees of a political party under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), and Commission regulations. The Commission will accept written comments on the request during the 10-day period following publication of the request (no later than April 18) and must issue a response no later than 60 days after the receipt of the complete advisory opinion request, that is, by June 3, 2025.
Enforcement
The Commission made public four closed cases, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Search System.
COMPLAINANT: Terrance Whitehead
RESPONDENTS: Pat Dowell for Congress and Mattie Lacy, in her official capacity as treasurer (Federal Committee); Citizens for Pat Dowell (State Committee); and Patricia Dowell
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Dowell, a 2022 candidate for the First Congressional District of Illinois and a former Illinois state candidate, used nonfederal funds from the State Committee to pay the expenses of the Federal Committee, in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act).
DISPOSITION: The Commission entered into a conciliation agreement providing for the respondents to pay a civil penalty of $7,000.
COMPLAINANT: Lavora Barnes, Michigan Democratic Party
RESPONDENTS: Paul Hudson for Congress and Jason D. Boles, in his official capacity as treasurer (Paul Hudson for Congress); Paul Hudson; West Michigan for Change and Katie Reid, in her official capacity as treasurer (West Michigan for Change); Ryan Hudson; and Josh Volk
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that West Michigan for Change, an independent expenditure-only political committee (IEOPC), and Paul Hudson and Paul Hudson for Congress violated the Act by respectively making and accepting excessive contributions in the form of coordinated expenditures. The complaint based the allegations on a news report of a single communication between the Hudson campaign and West Michigan for Change, which was reportedly in connection with rectifying the disclosure of a contribution to West Michigan for Change, which was originally reported as coming from Paul Hudson rather than his brother, Ryan Hudson. The complaint inferred that the campaign and West Michigan for Change coordinated the IEOPC’s expenditures because West Michigan for Change amended its disclosure report shortly after Josh Volk, Hudson’s campaign manager, was alerted to the reported contribution by the candidate. Paul Hudson was a 2024 candidate for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District.
DISPOSITION: The Commission dismissed the allegations.
COMPLAINANT: Robin Carder
RESPONDENTS: Lucas for Congress and Susan Balkenbush, in her official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); and Frank D. Lucas
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Lucas, a 2024 candidate for Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District, and the Committee made “questionable” fundraising disbursements for travel, lodging, meals, and entertainment related to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, which the complaint suggested constituted potential prohibited conversion of campaign funds to personal use.
DISPOSITION: The Commission dismissed the allegations.
COMPLAINANT: Lee M. Diamond
RESPONDENTS: Van Drew for Congress and Bradley T. Crate, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); and Jeff Van Drew
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Committee, the principal campaign committee of Representative Van Drew, a 2024 candidate for New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District, distributed a television advertisement without an adequate disclaimer, in violation of the Act.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the complaint.
Litigation
Democratic National Committee, et al. v. Donald J. Trump, et al. (Case No. 25-587) On April 7, Defendants Donald J. Trump and Pamela Bondi filed a Reply Memorandum in Support of the Motion to Dismiss the Complaint and the Commission filed a Reply in Support of its Motion to Dismiss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. On April 9, the Court heard oral argument in this case addressing the Democratic National Committee’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, the Commission’s Motion to Dismiss, and President Trump and Attorney General Bondi’s Motion to Dismiss.
Outreach
On April 8-9, the Commission hosted a webinar for trade associations and their PACs.
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
April 15: April Quarterly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2025 Quarterly Reporting schedule.
April 20: April 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