Week of September 15 - September 19, 2014

Weekly Digest

Week of September 15 – 19

COMMISSION MEETINGS AND HEARINGS

On September 16, the Commission held an executive session.

On September 18, the Commission held an open meeting.

COMMISSION PUBLIC FORUM

Public Forum on Website Improvement. On September 17, the Commission held a forum to seek broad public input for its effort to improve access to campaign finance data and information through a redesign of the FEC.gov website. The Commission launched its website improvement initiative earlier this year in partnership with 18F, a digital services delivery team in the General Services Administration (GSA). The Commission and 18F welcome suggestions for improving the website. Ideas should be submitted to https://github.com/18F/fec/issues.

ADVISORY OPINIONS

Advisory Opinion Issued

AO 2014-13 (ActBlue).  On September 18, the Commission unanimously approved an advisory opinion in response to a request from ActBlue. The Commission concluded that a box on ActBlue''''s contribution forms, which allows a contributor to enter a single contribution amount and split that amount among the recipient committees, would not result in ActBlue’s exercising direction or control over the choice of recipient candidates or political committees. The Commission concluded further that use of the box under the circumstances described in the request would not subject the fundraising activity at issue to the Commission’s joint fundraising rules.

Drafts

AOR 2014-11 (Health Care Service Corporation Employees'''' PAC).  On September 17, the Commission made public a draft advisory opinion in response to a request from Health Care Service Corporation Employees'''' PAC. The requestor, the separate segregated fund of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), a licensed health insurance company, asks whether it may be disaffiliated from BluePAC, the separate segregated fund of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Comments on the draft are due by 5:00 p.m. on September 24, 2014.

LITIGATION

Combat Veterans for Congress PAC v. FEC (Case 13-5358). On September 16, the Commission filed a Brief for the Commission and Addendum to Brief for the Commission  in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Holmes, et al. v. FEC (Case 1:14-cv-01243-RMC). On September 15, the plaintiffs filed a Reply Memorandum on Motion for Preliminary Injunction in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Stop Reckless Economic Instability caused by Democrats, et al. v. FEC (Case 1:14-cv-00397-AJT-IDD). On September 15, the Amended Rebuttal Brief of Plaintiffs and Putative Plaintiff-Intervenor American Future PAC in Support of Motion for Joinder was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

ADMINISTRATIVE FINES

The Commission made public three 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 2781 – Joe Palumbo for Congress and Keith Buckhout, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $3,850.

AF 2783 – Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and Pamela E. Queen, in her official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $1,090.

AF 2785 – Wells Griffith for Congress and Richard Byron Williams, in his official capacity as treasurer. The Commission made a final determination and assessed a civil penalty of $550.

AUDITS

Final Audit Report on Roraback for Congress. On September 18, the Commission made public the Final Audit Report on Roraback for Congress, covering campaign finance activity between October 26, 2011 and December 31, 2012. The Audit examined reports and statements filed by the Committee and discovered no material non-compliance.

Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum On Canseco For Congress. On September 18, the Commission unanimously approved on a tally vote an Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum on Canseco for Congress, covering campaign finance activity between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The Commission approved findings related to (1) the receipt of apparent prohibited contributions, (2) the receipt of contributions that exceed limits, and (3) the misstatement of financial activity. The Audit Division will prepare the Proposed Final Audit Report within 30 days.

OUTREACH

On September 17, Chairman Lee E. Goodman and Vice Chair Ann M. Ravel participated in a panel discussion entitled “Political Parties and the New Campaign Finance Paradigm” at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC.

On September 18, Chairman Goodman discussed the topic of transparency as it applies to the role and work of the Commission with a group of private sector and government leaders from Turkey. The group was visiting the United States as part of a State Department International Visitor Leadership Program trip.

PRESS RELEASES

FEC Summarizes 18-Month Campaign Activity of the 2013-2014 Election Cycle (issued September 16)

FEC Hosts Public Forum on Website Improvement (issued September 17)

FEC Issues Advisory Opinion, Approves Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum (issued September 18)

UPCOMING COMMISSION MEETINGS

October 7: The Commission is scheduled to hold an executive session.

October 9: 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

October 1, 2014, Federal Election Commission, Washington, DC. Webinar on October Quarterly Reporting for Candidate Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

October 1, 2014, Federal Election Commission, Washington, DC. Webinar on FECFiling for Candidate Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

October 8, 2014, Federal Election Commission, Washington, DC. Webinar and In-Person Workshop on October Reporting for PACs and Party Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

October 8, 2014, Federal Election Commission, Washington, DC. Webinar and In-Person Workshop on FECFiling for PACs and Party Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

UPCOMING REPORTING DUE DATES

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

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

OTHER RESOURCES

The 2014 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 2014 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.

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

The 2014 edition of the Federal Election Commission Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates and Committees is now 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 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 Record news articles published 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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