Week of May 23 – May 27, 2016

Commission meetings and hearings

• On May 24, the Commission held an executive session.
• The open meeting previously scheduled for May 26 was cancelled.
  

Enforcement

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

MUR 6825

• COMPLAINANT: Connie J. Sherwood
• RESPONDENTS: Tom MacArthur for Congress and Ronald Gravino, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Committee mailed campaign brochures that lacked disclaimers stating that the Committee had paid for them. MacArthur was a 2014 candidate for New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District.
• DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter.

MUR 6919

• COMPLAINANT: FEC-Initiated
• RESPONDENTS: Francisco Canseco; Canseco for Congress and Randy Blair, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); Immuebles Caza, S.A. de C.V. (Caza); Jorge Canseco; and Rod Lewis
• SUBJECT: In the normal course of carrying out its supervisory responsibilities, the Commission initiated proceedings to determine whether there was reason to believe that (1) Francisco Canseco and the Committee knowingly accepted or received a prohibited contribution from a foreign national, accepted an excessive contribution, and failed to properly file disclosure reports with the Commission, (2) Caza made a prohibited contribution from a foreign national and Jorge Canseco provided substantial assistance in the solicitation, making, acceptance or receipt of a contribution by a foreign national, and (3) Lewis made an excessive contribution. Canseco was a 2010 candidate for Texas’s 23^rd Congressional District.
• DISPOSITION: The Commission entered into conciliation agreements providing for Francisco Canseco and the Committee to pay a civil penalty of $22,500, Caza and Jorge Canseco to pay a civil penalty of $40,000, and Rod Lewis to pay a civil penalty of $10,000.

MUR 6939

• COMPLAINANT: Brad Woodhouse, American Democracy Legal Fund
• RESPONDENTS: Mike Huckabee; and Pursuing American’s Greatness and Bryan Jeffrey, in his official capacity as treasurer (PAG)
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Huckabee solicited excessive contributions for an independent expenditure-only committee during his announcement of his candidacy for President of the United States in 2016. Huckabee was a 2016 candidate for President of the United States.
• DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter as to Huckabee. The Commission concluded that Huckabee made his remark in connection with the solicitation in jest and that an objectively reasonable observer would have understood as much. The Commission found no reason to believe PAG violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), in connection with Huckabee’s remark.

Administrative Fines

The Commission made public one campaign finance enforcement matter that was resolved through its Administrative Fine (AF) Program, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

AF 3015

Bill Cassidy for U.S. Senate and Ralph Stephens, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $7,016.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Commission made public one campaign finance enforcement matter that was resolved through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

ADR 788

Conservative Campaign Committee and Kelly Lawler, in her official capacity as treasurer. The respondent agreed to (1) develop and certify implementation of a compliance operations manual that includes internal controls consistent with the Commission’s Internal Controls and Political Committees advisory document and the Best Practices for Committee Management, as well as a process to track receipt of, and response to, communications with the Committee, (2) certify that a representative of the Committee participated in an FEC conference, webinar, or other program developed in consultation with the FEC’s Information Division, and (3) pay a civil penalty of $4,750.

Litigation

• CREW, et al. v. FEC  (Case 1:14-cv-01419-CRC). On May 23, the Commission filed its Reply Memorandum in Support of Its Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
  

Outreach

• On May 21-22, Commissioners Ann M. Ravel and Ellen L. Weintraub, Staff Director Alec Palmer and Deputy Chief Information Officer Wei Luo participated in the National Institute on Money in State Politics Conference in Bigfork, Montana.
• On May 25, Commissioner Ravel and Senior Public Affairs Specialist Jason Bucelato discussed the role and work of the Commission with students from Villanova University.
• On May 25, Deputy Press Officer Christian Hilland discussed campaign finance rules with a delegation of young professionals from Le Reseau Quebec-Monde.

Upcoming forums

• June 23, 10 a.m.: Forum hosted by Commissioner Weintraub at the FEC: Corporate Political Spending and Foreign Influence.

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

• June 14: The Commission is scheduled to hold an executive session.
• June 16: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

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

Upcoming educational programs

• May 25: Webinar for Trade Associations and their PACs. Additional information is available on theEducational Outreach page of the Commission website.

Upcoming reporting due dates

• June 20: June Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2016 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.
• July 15: July Quarterly Reports are due. For more information on quarterly reporting dates, refer to the 2016 Quarterly Reporting page of the Commission website
• July 20: July Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the2016 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

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 Commission has published the May 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.