Week of July 3-7, 2023

Commission meetings and hearings

No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week.

Advisory Opinions

Draft Advisory Opinion

Advisory Opinion Request 2023-04 (Guy for Congress) On July 6, the Commission made public a draft advisory opinion.

Comment Received

Advisory Opinion Request 2023-05 (Alamo PAC) On July 5, the Commission received one comment on the advisory opinion request. Alamo PAC, the leadership PAC of U.S. Senator John Cornyn, asks whether it may establish a separate account with its own contribution limit.

Enforcement

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

MUR 7464

COMPLAINANT: Noah Bookbinder, Executive Director, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
RESPONDENTS: LZP, LLC (LZP); Honor and Principles PAC and Lisa Lisker, in her official capacity as treasurer (Honor PAC); Independence and Freedom Network, Inc. (IFN); Ray McVeigh, Director of IFN; James Ryan; Ohio Works; and American Electric Power (AEP)
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that unknown respondents made a $175,000 contribution to Honor and Principles PAC in the name of LZP, and that LZP knowingly permitted its name to be used to effect a $175,000 contribution by the unknown respondent to Honor and Principles PAC.
DISPOSITION: On May 20, 2021, the Commission found reason to believe that IFN and McVeigh made and allowed LZP’s name to be used to make contributions in the name of another because the available information suggested that LZP’s creation was an attempt to circumvent the disclosure requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), and IFN and McVeigh controlled LZP and may have directed contributions to Honor PAC. The Commission found reason to believe Honor PAC knowingly accepted contributions in the name of another and failed to properly report attribution information for a $35,000 contribution that LZP made because Honor PAC did not seek attribution information at the time LZP made its contributions and as a result it failed to properly attribute the contributions to LZP’s single nonprofit corporate member. The Commission found reason to believe LZP allowed its name to be used to make contributions in the name of another and failed to provide the required attribution to Honor PAC when making its $35,000 contribution. The Commission found reason to believe Unknown Respondents made and allowed LZP’s name to be used to make contributions in the name of another. On April 6, 2023, the Commission found no probable cause to believe that Honor PAC violated the Act, and on June 1, 2023, the Commission (1) voted to substitute the name Ohio Works in place of Unknown Respondents in the Commission’s previous findings that Unknown Respondents had violated the prohibition on making contributions in the name of another, (2) found no probable cause to believe that McVeigh violated the prohibition, and (3) found no reason to believe AEP violated that prohibition. The Commission closed the file in connection with the allegations against IFN, LZP, and Honor PAC. Chair Dara Lindenbaum and Commissioner Shana M. Broussard issued a Statement of Reasons. Vice Chairman Sean J. Cooksey and Commissioners Allen J. Dickerson and James E. “Trey” Trainor, III issued a Statement of Reasons on Honor PAC; they also issued a separate Statement of Reasons on LZP and IFN.

MURs 7722 and 7723

COMPLAINANTS: Great America PAC and Elizabeth Curtis, in her official capacity as treasurer; and Americans for Public Trust
RESPONDENTS Michael R. Bloomberg; Mike Bloomberg 2020, Inc., and Hayden Horowitz, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); DNC Services Corporation/Democratic National Committee and Virginia McGregor, in her official capacity as treasurer (DNC); and Unknown State Party Committees
SUBJECT: The complaints alleged that (1) Bloomberg and the Committee made and the DNC accepted an excessive contribution, (2) Bloomberg made, and the Unknown State Party Committees accepted, excessive contributions, and (3) Bloomberg and the Committee made and the DNC accepted a contribution in the name of another. The complaint in MUR 7722 also alleged alternatively that (1) the Committee made, and the DNC accepted, an excessive contribution in violation of the limits on contributions to political committees of a national political party, (2) Bloomberg exceeded the limits on contributions to candidates by contributing millions of dollars to the Committee, and (3) the Committee exceeded the contribution limits to candidates by earmarking the $18 million given to the DNC for the benefit of the Democratic nominee for President.
DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe a violation occurred in connection with the allegations that the Committee made, and the DNC accepted, an excessive contribution in violation of the limits on contributions to political committees of a national political party, Bloomberg exceeded the limits on contributions to candidates by contributing millions of dollars to the Committee, and the Committee exceeded the contribution limits to candidates by earmarking the $18 million given to the DNC for the benefit of the Democratic nominee for President. The Commission closed the file in connection with the allegations that Bloomberg and the Committee made and the DNC knowingly accepted an excessive contribution, Bloomberg made, and the Unknown State Party Committees accepted, excessive contributions, and Bloomberg and the Committee made and the DNC accepted a contribution in the name of another. Chair Lindenbaum, Vice Chair Cooksey, and Commissioners Broussard, Dickerson, and Trainor and Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub issued Statements of Reasons.

MUR 7853

COMPLAINANT: Campaign Legal Center
RESPONDENT: Lance Harris; Campaign to Elect Lance Harris and Blaine Hebert, in his official capacity as treasurer (State Committee) ; Lance Harris for Congress and Lance Harris in his official capacity as treasurer (Federal Committee); and Stand for Truth, Inc. and Hal Lambert, in his official capacity as treasurer
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Harris and the State Committee made and Stand for Truth, Inc., an independent expenditure-only political committee, received and spent funds that were not subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of the Act in connection with $120,000 that Harris reported providing to Stand for Truth. The complaint further alleged that Stand for Truth’s payment for research related to Harris’s federal candidacy and an expenditure it made to support Harris’s candidacy were coordinated, resulting in Stand for Truth making, and the Federal Committee accepting, a prohibited in-kind contribution. Harris was a 2020 candidate for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District.
DISPOSITION: The Commission entered into conciliation agreements providing for Stand for Truth to pay a civil penalty of $19,900 and for Harris and the State Committee to pay a civil penalty of $19,900.

MUR 7975

COMPLAINANT: Zachary Poppel, Culinary Workers Union, Local 226
RESPONDENTS: Frank Fertitta, III; Lorenzo Fertitta; Red Rock Resorts, Inc. PAC and Steven S. Lucas, in his official capacity as treasurer; McConnell Senate Committee and Larry J. Steinberg, in his official capacity as treasurer; McConnell Victory Committee and Lisa Lisker, in her official capacity as treasurer; Joni For Iowa and Cabell Hobbs, in his official capacity as treasurer; Steve Daines for Montana and Lisa Lisker, in her official capacity as treasurer; Cotton for Senate, Inc. and Theodore Koch, in his official capacity as treasurer; Thom Tillis Committee and Collin McMichael, in his official capacity as treasurer; Cindy Hyde-Smith for US Senate and William K. Ozanus, in his official capacity as treasurer; Cory Gardner for Senate and Lisa Lisker, in her official capacity as treasurer; Senate Georgia Battleground Fund and Les Williamson, in his official capacity as treasurer; and Trump Victory and Bradley T. Crate, in his official capacity as treasurer
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that 11 political committees reported 25 contributions from Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles totaling $756,300, in which the two contributors’ employer and occupation information was inaccurate because it was outdated.
DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe that Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta reported inaccurate information and dismissed the allegations that the respondent political committees had reported outdated employer and occupation information for contributions made by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta.

MUR 8038

COMPLAINANTS: Saurav Ghosh, Campaign Legal Center
RESPONDENTS: Angel Staffing, Inc. (Angel Staffing); and Protect and Serve PAC and Charles Gantt, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Angel Staffing, a federal government contractor, violated the federal contractor prohibition of the Act and Commission regulations when it made a $250,000 contribution to the Committee, an independent-expenditure only political committee, during the 2022 election cycle.
DISPOSITION: The Commission closed the file. Vice Chairman Cooksey and Commissioners Dickerson and Trainor issued Statements of Reasons.

Election Dates

The Commission has posted a list of preliminary 2024 Presidential and Congressional Primary Dates.

Employment Opportunities

The Commission is accepting applications for the position of Paralegal Specialist through July 25, 2023.

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

July 11 and 13, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

July 13, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

August 8, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

August 10, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

Upcoming educational programs

July 12, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to host an FECConnect OnTopic discussion on PAC and Party Registration. Participation is free, but registration is required. To register, please email ontopic@fec.gov.

July 19, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to host a FECFile webinar for PACs and party committees.

September 27, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to host a full-day Seminar for Separate Segregated Funds at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. In-person attendance is limited, but virtual attendance is also available.

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

Upcoming reporting due dates

July 15: July Quarterly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2023 Quarterly Reporting schedule. The Reports Analysis Division and Electronic Filing Office will be available until 8 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 14 for assistance in filing reports.

July 20: July Monthly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2023 Monthly Reporting schedule.

July 31: Mid-Year Reports are due. For more information, see the 2023 Semi-Annual 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 Elections 2020: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is now 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 Twitter and YouTube

Follow @FEC on Twitter 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.