Week of July 29 - August 2, 2013

Weekly Digest

Week of July 29 – August 2

COMMISSION MEETINGS AND HEARINGS

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

ENFORCEMENT

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

MUR 6620
COMPLAINANT: James Taylor, Sr., The City News
RESPONDENTS: Friends of Brian Woodworth and Hilary Woodworth, in her official capacity as treasurer; Olivet Nazarene University; Walter (“Woody”) Webb; and Dennis Crocker
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Olivet Nazarene University (the University), helped by University Vice President Webb and Dean Crocker, made and Friends of Brian Woodworth and Hilary Woodworth, in her official capacity as treasurer, (the Committee) accepted a prohibited in-kind contribution when the University granted students internship credit for helping Woodworth gather signatures to qualify for ballot access. Woodworth, a University professor, was a 2012 candidate for Illinois’s 2nd Congressional District.
DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe the University made or the Committee accepted a prohibited contribution because the available information shows that (1) the University did not grant any college credit for students who gathered signatures for Woodworth to qualify for ballot access, and (2) the sole student who sought a college credit for an uncompensated campaign internship received such credit pursuant to an academic program conducted in a nonpartisan manner that was consistent with accepted accreditation standards generally applicable to institutions of higher education.

LITIGATION

McCutcheon, et al. v. FEC (Case 12-536). On July 24, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and Americans for Campaign Reform filed Amici Curiae Briefs in Support of the Commission in the United States Supreme Court. On July 25, Representatives Chris Van Hollen and David Price, Professor Lawrence Lessig, Democratic Members of the United States House of Representatives, Communications Workers of America, Greenpeace, NAACP, Sierra Club, American Federation of Teachers, Main Street Alliance, Ourtime.org, People for the American Way Foundation, Rock the Vote, U.S. PIRG, Working Families Organization and Demos, Campaign Legal Center, AARP, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Common Cause, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, The League of Women Voters of the United States, Progressives United, Public Campaign, and National Education Association, et al. also filed Amici Curiae Briefs in Support of the Commission. 

Nader v. FEC (Case 12-5134). On August 2, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued its Opinion vacating the judgment of the district court and remanding the case with instructions to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.

PRESS RELEASES

Appeals Court Issues Opinion in Nader v. FEC (issued August 2)

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS

July 31: Mid-Year reports were due. For more information on semi-annual reporting dates, refer to the Semi-annual Reporting page of the Commission website.

UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

August 20-21, Austin, Texas, Regional Conference for House & Senate Campaigns, Political Party Committees and Corporate/Trade/Labor PACs. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

October 23-24, San Francisco, California, Regional Conference for House & Senate Campaigns, Political Party Committees and Corporate/Trade/Labor PACs. 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 information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2013 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

OTHER RESOURCES

The 2013 edition of the Combined Federal State Disclosure and Election Directory is available in the Public 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 Official 2012 Presidential General Election Results are available in the Library section of the website. This listing was compiled from the official election results published by state election offices.

An index to the Record news articles published in 2013 is available on the Commission website. The Record news page is available in the Publications section of the Commission website. Sign up to receive email notification when new articles are posted.

The FEC Annual Reports from 1975-2006 are now available on the website. Beginning in 2007, the Commission consolidated its Annual Report with its Performance and Accountability Report (PAR) to provide a single account of the agency''''s activities for each fiscal year.

The 2012 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.

Instructional videos are available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/FECTube?feature=watch. These videos are also available on the Commission''''s E-Learning resources page at http://www.fec.gov/info/elearning.shtml.

Follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/fec
Users of smartphones and other mobile devices may access our mobile interface at http://www.fec.gov/mobile/