Week of January 13 – 17, 2025

Commission meetings and hearings

On January 14, the Commission met in executive session.

Enforcement

The Commission made public three closed cases this week, as follows. For more information, see the Enforcement Search System.

MUR 7664

COMPLAINANT: Rupert Baptiste
RESPONDENTS: Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 (the Union); and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 PAC and Michael Maloney, in his official capacity as treasurer (the PAC); and Michael Maloney
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Union (1) solicited and accepted contributions for the PAC without obtaining the appropriate written authorizations demonstrating the voluntary nature of the contributions, (2) operated a reverse check-off system by which contributions were deducted from wages unless an employee opted out, and (3) used the funds collected to make federal contributions and expenditures. The complaint alleged further that the Union, PAC, and Maloney coerced members into signing contribution authorizations and not requesting refunds of previously unauthorize contributions, and coerced apprentices to work on political campaigns.
DISPOSITION: On October 30, 2018, the Commission entered into a conciliation agreement providing for the Union and the PAC to (1) jointly pay a civil penalty of $92,650, (2) ensure that all solicitations comply with the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), and Commission regulations, and that signed payroll deduction authorizations were obtained for all Union members contributing to the PAC, (3) refund contributions withheld from pay of Complainant Baptiste between 2012 and 2017 in the amount of $1,426.93, (4) send notifications by mail to the last known address of each of the 1,310 members, from whom they obtained contributions between 2012 and 2017, informing them of the improper payroll deductions for PAC contributions and of their right to request reimbursement of such contributions, and refund the previously unauthorized contributions of all members who requested refunds. The same complainant subsequently reported that the union and the PAC were violating the conciliation agreement. On May 17, 2024, the Commission filed a Complaint for Declaratory, Injunctive, and Other Appropriate Relief to enforce the terms of the conciliation agreement. On December 16, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia entered a Consent Judgment providing for the defendants to pay a total joint civil penalty of $240,000 and to perform certain other remedial measures.

MUR 8237

COMPLAINANT: Tyler Henningsen
RESPONDENT: Dan Frei for Congress and Elizabeth Curtis, in her official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Committee failed to include proper disclaimers on yard signs. Frei was a 2024 candidate for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter.

MUR 8240

COMPLAINANT: Olivia Kelly Maher Polk
RESPONDENTS: Dave Williams; Dave Williams for Colorado and Thomas Bjorklund, in his official capacity as treasurer (Williams Campaign); and Colorado Republican Committee and Thomas Bjorklund, in his official capacity as treasurer (State Party)
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the State Party made and Williams and the Williams Campaign knowingly accepted and failed to report excessive in-kind contributions when the State Party made payments to benefit the Williams Campaign. Williams was a 2024 candidate for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter.

Administrative Fines

The Commission made public two closed cases, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Administrative Fine Search System.

AF 4759 Montana Outdoor Values Action Fund and Jill Lombardi, in official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $12,372.

AF 4762 Path to Freedom PAC and Mark Milton, in official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed no civil penalty.

Regulations and agency procedures

Statement of Policy Regarding the Notification of Respondents in Matters Under Review Remanded From a Challenge Pursuant to 52 U.S.C. § 30109(a)(8) On January 17, the Commission published a Statement of Policy in the Federal Register to explain that, if the Commission receives a remand in litigation instituted pursuant to 52 U.S.C. § 30109(a)(8), it will notify the respondents in the Matter Under Review (“MUR”) of the relevant court decision(s) and provide an opportunity to file supplemental responses. The Policy Statement is effective February 18, 2025.

Litigation

Campaign Legal Center v. FEC (Case No. 24-2585) On January 16, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Summary Judgment and Memorandum of Points and Authorities Supporting the Motion for Summary Judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Commissioner Statements

On January 13, Commissioner Sean J. Cooksey submitted his Resignation Letter to the President.

Press releases

FEC appoints James D. McGinley Associate General Counsel for Litigation (issued January 14)

Outreach

On January 15, the Commission held Year-End reporting and FECFile webinars for political action committees and party committees.

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

January 28, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

January 30, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

Upcoming educational opportunities

January 22, 2025: The Commission is scheduled to host Year-End reporting and FECFile webinars for candidate committees.

For more information on upcoming training opportunities, see the Commission’s Trainings page.

Upcoming reporting due dates

January 31, 2025: Year-End Reports are due. For more information, see the 2024 Quarterly and Monthly Reporting schedules.

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 Elections 2020: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is 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.

Other election-related resources

Videos on protecting U.S. elections. The FBI’s Protected Voices initiative provides videos designed to help political campaigns protect themselves from foreign influence. The 2019 videos offer guidance on ransomware, business email compromise, supply chain, social media literacy, and foreign influence operations. Other videos, released in 2018, include cyber hygiene topics such as social engineering, patching, router hardening, and app and browser safety.

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.