Week of August 8 – August 12, 2016

Commission meetings and hearings

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

Advisory opinions

Supplement received

Advisory Opinion Request 2016-08 (eBundler.com)

On August 12, the Commission made public a supplement to AOR 2016-08, in which the requestor provided additional details about the proposed fundraising and contribution-processing platforms.

Enforcement

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

MUR 6843

• COMPLAINANT: Benjamin Orr White
• RESPONDENT: Mark Takai for Congress and Edward Dion Kaimihana, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Takai improperly solicited the complainant for a contribution in a telephone call and follow-up email that did not contain proper disclaimers. Takai was a 2014 candidate for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District.
• DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter. The Commission observed that there was no information demonstrating that the Committee solicited more than 500 potential contributors by phone or email, which would trigger inclusion of a disclaimer.

MURs 6978 and 7054

• COMPLAINANT: FEC-Initiated
• RESPONDENT: Oakland County Democratic Party and Phillip W. Reid, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
• SUBJECT: In the normal course of carrying out its supervisory responsibilities, the Commission initiated proceedings to determine whether there was reason to believe the Committee (1) misstated receipts, disbursements and cash on hand, (2) failed to maintain monthly payroll logs in 2011 and 2012, (3) failed to maintain records of receipts and to properly report receipts in 2011 and 2012, (4) failed to use a campaign depository for all its cash transactions in 2011 and 2012, and (5) failed to disclose $761,912.15 in disbursements in three monthly reports in 2015.
• DISPOSITION: The Commission entered into a conciliation agreement providing for the Committee to pay a civil penalty of $58,000.

MUR 7074

• COMPLAINANT: FEC-Initiated
• RESPONDENT: Committee for Charlotte/Charlotte DNC Host Committee (the Committee)
• SUBJECT: In the normal course of carrying out its supervisory responsibilities, the Commission initiated proceedings to determine whether there was reason to believe the Committee failed to maintain recordkeeping for in-kind contributions totaling $2,878,882.
• DISPOSITION: The Commission entered into a conciliation agreement providing for the Committee to pay a civil penalty of $4,500.

MUR 6974

Foundation for a Secure and Prosperous America and Susan Neithamer, in her official capacity as treasurer (FSPA). On August 8, Statements of Reasons were issued by Commissioner Ann M. Ravel and by Chairman Matthew S. Petersen and Commissioners Caroline C. Hunter and Lee E. Goodman.

Outreach

On August 10, Communications Specialist Isaac Baker discussed campaign finance disclosure rules and the role of the Commission with a group of leaders from various countries. The group is visiting the U.S. as part of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program's Multiregional Project.

Press releases

• FEC Announces Appointment of Adav Noti as Associate General Counsel (issued August 12)
• FEC Announces Appointment of Kevin Deeley as Associate General Counsel (issued August 12)
• FEC Cites Committees for Failure to File 12-Day Pre-Primary Financial Report (issued August 12)

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

• August 16: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting and an executive session.

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

Upcoming educational programs

• August 24: Webinar on Pre-Election Communications and Reporting. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

Upcoming reporting due dates

• August 20: August Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2016 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

The Commission posted the filing deadlines for the Special General Election in Hawaii’s First Congressional District. For information on reporting dates for this election, refer to the Special Election Report Notice.

Disclosure initiatives

Commission staff, together with our partners at 18F, continue to add new features to the agency's beta.fec.gov website. The Commission encourages website visitors to submit comments and questions by clicking on the “Feedback” tab at the bottom of each page.

Additional research materials

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

The 2016 edition of the Combined Federal State Disclosure and Election Directory is available in thePublic Records section of the 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 Commission has published the July Record newsletter. Sign up to receive email notification when new Record articles are posted.

The 2016 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.