Week of March 17 - March 21, 2014

Weekly Digest

Week of March 17 - 21

COMMISSION MEETINGS AND HEARINGS

On March 18, the Commission held an open meeting. Click here for agendas and related documents for open meetings. Click here for audio recordings for selected meetings, hearings and presentations.

On March 18 and 20, the Commission held executive sessions.

ADVISORY OPINIONS

Supplement Received

AOR 2014-01 (Solano County United Democratic Central Committee).  On March 19, the Commission made public a supplement to an advisory opinion request from the Solano County Democratic Central Committee. The requestor asked whether it may use unreported funds remaining in the federal account of its predecessor committee.

ENFORCEMENT

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

MUR 6613
COMPLAINANT: Hoekstra for Senate
RESPONDENTS: Prosperity for Michigan and Jennifer Satterlee in her official capacity as treasurer; Jennifer Satterlee in her personal capacity; and The American Way—Durant 2012 and Walter B. Czarnecki, in his official capacity as treasurer
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Prosperity for Michigan, an independent expenditure-only political committee, and Satterlee, in her official capacity as treasurer and in  her personal capacity, knowingly and willfully violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, (the Act) by intentionally withholding disclosure of contributors to shield the contributors’ identities. The complaint alleged further that Prosperity for Michigan and Satterlee failed to disclose their activities in a timely manner by filing a 48-hour independent expenditure report instead of a 24-hour report, and that they did not make best efforts to include employer and occupation information for seven of nine individual contributors disclosed in an amended quarterly report. Finally, the complaint alleged that Prosperity for Michigan and Satterlee may have coordinated ads with, and thus made an unreported in-kind contribution to, The American Way—Durant 2012 and Czarnecki, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Durant Committee). Clark Durant was a 2012 primary candidate for Michigan’s United States Senate seat.
DISPOSITION: The Commission found reason to believe Prosperity for Michigan and Satterlee failed to disclose receipts and entered into a conciliation agreement providing for Prosperity for Michigan to pay a civil penalty of $2,100.  The Commission found no reason to believe Prosperity for Michigan failed to file its independent expenditure report in a timely manner and exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the best efforts allegation. The Commission further exercised its prosecutorial discretional and dismissed the allegation that Prosperity for Michigan made, and the Durant Committee accepted, an excessive contribution in the form a coordinated communication.  Finally, the Commission found no reason to believe that Satterlee knowingly and willfully violated the reporting provisions of the Act.

ADMINISTRATIVE FINES

The Commission made public four campaign finance enforcement matters that were resolved through its Administrative Fines (AF) program, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

AF 2755 – Oklahoma Leadership Council and Anthony J. Ferate, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $330.

AF 2762 – Winning Freedom Inc. and Brandon Todd, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed no civil penalty.

AF 2763 – Republican Central Committee of Los Angeles County (Fed. Acct.) and Albert Gersh, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $275.

AF 2766 – The Markey Committee and Marie C. Carbone, in her official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $3,116.

AUDITS

Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum on the State Democratic Executive Committee of Alabama. On March 18, the Commission approved the Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum on the State Democratic Executive Committee of Alabama, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The Commission approved a finding related to recordkeeping for employees. The Commission also directed the Audit Division to include in the Proposed Final Audit Report an Additional Issues section addressing payroll for certain non-federal activity. The Audit Division will prepare the Proposed Final Audit Report within 30 days.

Final Audit Report on the Dallas County Republican Party.  On March 18, the Commission made public the Final Audit Report on the Dallas County Republican Party, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The Commission approved findings related to the misstatement of financial activity and recordkeeping for employees.

Final Audit Report on the Republican Party of Iowa. On March 18, the Commission made public the Final Audit Report on the Republican Party of Iowa, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The Commission approved findings related to recordkeeping for employees and the failure to itemize debts and obligations. The report also addressed an additional issue related to recordkeeping for employees.

Final Audit Report on the Vermont Democratic Party. On March 18, the Commission made public the Final Audit Report on the Vermont Democratic Party, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The Commission approved a finding related to recordkeeping for employees.

Final Audit Report on the Democratic Party of South Carolina. On March 18, the Commission made public the Final Audit Report on the Democratic Party of South Carolina, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The Commission approved findings related to recordkeeping for employees and coordinated party expenditures.

COMMISSIONERS’ STATEMENTS

On March 18, Vice Chair Ann M. Ravel and Commissioners Steven T. Walther and Ellen L. Weintraub issued a Statement on the Final Audit Report on the Republican Party of Iowa and a Statement on the Final Audit Reports on the Vermont Democratic Party (A11-12), Dallas County Republican Party (A11-14), Democratic Party of South Carolina (A11-19), and Republican Party of Iowa (A11-24).

RULEMAKING AND AGENCY OPERATIONS

Technical Corrections to Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations.  On March 18, the Commission approved the draft Final Rules and Explanation and Justification for Technical Corrections to various provisions of Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

On March 19, the Commission hosted a Seminar/Webinar for House and Senate Campaigns and Party Committees.

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

On March 18, the Commission approved the Fiscal Year 2014 Financial Management Plan.

PRESS RELEASES

FEC Approves FY 2014 Financial Management Plan, Draft Final Rules on Technical Corrections and Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum Finding (issued March 18)

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS

March 20: March Monthly Reports were due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2014 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

UPCOMING COMMISSION MEETINGS

April 1: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

April 3: The Commission is scheduled to hold an executive session.

UPCOMING REPORTING DUE DATES

April 15: April Quarterly Reports are due. For information on quarterly reporting dates, refer to the 2014 Quarterly Reporting page of the Commission website.

April 20: April Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2014 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

April 2, Federal Election Commission, Washington, D.C. Webinar: FECFile for PACs and Party Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

April 2, Federal Election Commission, Washington, D.C. Webinar: FECFile for Candidate Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

April 30, Federal Election Commission, Washington, D.C. Seminar/Webinar for Corporations and their PACs. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

May 21, Federal Election Commission, Washington, D.C. Seminar/Webinar for Trade Associations, Labor Organizations, Membership Organizations and their PACs. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

OTHER RESOURCES

The 2014 edition of Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations can be downloaded from the website.

The 2013 Legislative Recommendations are available on the Commission’s website.

The August 2013 edition of the Federal Election Commission Campaign Guide for Political Party Committees is available on the Commission’s website.

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.

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.

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