MUR #7153
HILLARY FOR AMERICASummary
RESPONDENTS: HILLARY FOR AMERICA; Begala, Paul; Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC; Haberman, Maggie; Harwood, John; Huffman, Peter; Jones, Elizabeth; Mantz, Jonathan; Messina, Jim; NBCUniversal Media, LLC; New York Times Company, The; POLITICO; Priorities USA Action; Speed, Greg; The Hill; Univision
COMPLAINANT: Dane, Tony
SUBJECT: Contributions-Prohibited; Contributions-Excessive; Disclaimer; Reporting; Soft Money
DISPOSITION: The Commission decided by a vote of 5-1 to:
Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis, as recommended in the First General
Counsel’s Report dated September 25, 2020, subject to the edits last circulated
by Commissioner Weintraub’s Office on June 7, 2021 at 4:08 p.m. . . . REDACTED . . . .
The Commission decided by a vote of 6-0 to:
a. Close the file.
b. Send the appropriate letters.
The Commission failed by a vote of 3-3 to take the following actions in MUR 7153:
1. Find no reason to believe that the New York Times, Politico, Maggie Haberman, The Hill, Peter Huffman, CNBC, John Harwood, the Boston Globe, and Univision violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30116(a)(1)(A), 30118(a) by making excessive or corporate contributions.
2. Find no reason to believe that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b)(3)(A), 30116(f), 30118(a) by knowingly accepting or failing to report excessive or corporate in-kind contributions from media entities.
3. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b)(3)(A), 30116(f) by knowingly accepting and failing to report an excessive in-kind contribution in the form of a debate question, and send a letter of caution to Hillary for America.
4. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b)(3)(A), 30116(f) by knowingly accepting and failing to report excessive in-kind contributions from volunteer filmmakers, and send a letter of caution to Hillary for America.
5. Dismiss the allegation that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30120 by failing to include proper disclaimers on the Filmmakers for Hillary website and videos, and send a letter of caution to Hillary for America.
6. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b), 30116(f) by knowingly accepting and failing to report an excessive in-kind contribution from another political committee, and send a letter of caution to Hillary for America.
7. Dismiss the allegation that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30125(e) by soliciting, receiving, directing, transferring, or spending non-federal funds arising out of its interactions with Priorities USA Action.
8. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer made, and Priorities USA Action and Greg Speed in his official capacity as treasurer knowingly accepted, unreported and excessive contributions, in the form of donor information in violation of 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b), 30116(a)(1)(C), (f), and send letters of caution to Hillary for America and Priorities USA Action.
9. Dismiss the allegations that Jim Messina, Jonathan Mantz, and Paul Begala violated the Act in connection with Priorities USA Action’s fundraising interactions with Hillary for America.
10. Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis, as recommended in the First General Counsel’s Report dated September 25, 2020, subject to the edits last circulated by Commissioner Weintraub’s Office on Thursday, July 8, 2021.
11. Approve the appropriate letters.
12. Close the file.
The Commission decided by a vote of 6-0 to:
a. Find no reason to believe that the New York Times, Politico, Maggie Haberman, The Hill, Peter Huffman, CNBC, John Harwood, the Boston Globe, and Univision violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30116(a)(1)(A), 30118(a) by making excessive or corporate contributions.
b. Find no reason to believe that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b)(3)(A), 30116(f), 30118(a) by knowingly accepting or failing to report excessive or corporate in-kind contributions from media entities.
c. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b)(3)(A), 30116(f) by knowingly accepting and failing to report an excessive in-kind contribution in the form of a debate question.
d. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b)(3)(A), 30116(f) by knowingly accepting and failing to report excessive in-kind contributions from volunteer filmmakers.
e. Dismiss the allegation that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30120 by failing to include proper disclaimers on the Filmmakers for Hillary website and videos.
f. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b), 30116(f) by knowingly accepting and failing to report an excessive in-kind contribution from another political committee.
g. Dismiss the allegation that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer violated 52 U.S.C. § 30125(e) by soliciting, receiving, directing, transferring, or spending non-federal funds arising out of its interactions with Priorities USA Action.
h. Dismiss the allegations that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her official capacity as treasurer made, and Priorities USA Action and Greg Speed in his official capacity as treasurer knowingly accepted, unreported and excessive contributions, in the form of donor information in violation of 52 U.S.C. §§ 30104(b), 30116(a)(1)(C), (f).
i. Dismiss the allegations that Jim Messina, Jonathan Mantz, and Paul Begala violated the Act in connection with Priorities USA Action’s fundraising interactions with Hillary for America.
The Commission failed by a vote of 2-2 to:
Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis, as recommended in the First General Counsel’s Report dated September 25, 2020, and last circulated by Chair Broussard’s Office on May 13, 2021 at 4:34 p.m.
The Commission failed by a vote of 2-2 to:
Approve the Factual and Legal Analysis, as recommended in the First General Counsel’s Report dated September 25, 2020, and last circulated by Commissioner Cooksey’s Office on May 17, 2021 at 3:58 p.m.
Disposition
Disposition | Penalty | Respondent | Citation |
---|---|---|---|
Dismissed-Other | Messina, Jim | ||
Jones, Elizabeth |
52
U.S.C.
§30104(b)
52 U.S.C. §30104(b)(3)(A) 52 U.S.C. §30116(a)(1)(C), (f) 52 U.S.C. §30116(f) 52 U.S.C. §30118(a) 52 U.S.C. §30120 52 U.S.C. §30125(e) |
||
HILLARY FOR AMERICA |
52
U.S.C.
§30104(b)
52 U.S.C. §30104(b)(3)(A) 52 U.S.C. §30116(a)(1)(C), (f) 52 U.S.C. §30116(f) 52 U.S.C. §30118(a) 52 U.S.C. §30120 52 U.S.C. §30125(e) |
||
Speed, Greg | |||
Mantz, Jonathan | |||
Begala, Paul | |||
Priorities USA Action | |||
No RTB | Haberman, Maggie |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
|
Harwood, John |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
||
Univision | |||
New York Times Company, The |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
||
NBCUniversal Media, LLC |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
||
The Hill |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
||
POLITICO |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
||
Jones, Elizabeth |
52
U.S.C.
§30104(b)
52 U.S.C. §30104(b)(3)(A) 52 U.S.C. §30116(a)(1)(C), (f) 52 U.S.C. §30116(f) 52 U.S.C. §30118(a) 52 U.S.C. §30120 52 U.S.C. §30125(e) |
||
Huffman, Peter |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
||
Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC |
52
U.S.C.
§30116(a)(1)(A)
52 U.S.C. §30118(a) |
||
HILLARY FOR AMERICA |
52
U.S.C.
§30104(b)
52 U.S.C. §30104(b)(3)(A) 52 U.S.C. §30116(a)(1)(C), (f) 52 U.S.C. §30116(f) 52 U.S.C. §30118(a) 52 U.S.C. §30120 52 U.S.C. §30125(e) |
Documents
Participants
Relationship | Name |
---|---|
Primary respondent | HILLARY FOR AMERICA |
Previous respondent | Begala, Paul |
Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC | |
Haberman, Maggie | |
Harwood, John | |
Huffman, Peter | |
Jones, Elizabeth | |
Mantz, Jonathan | |
Messina, Jim | |
NBCUniversal Media, LLC | |
New York Times Company, The | |
POLITICO | |
Priorities USA Action | |
Speed, Greg | |
The Hill | |
Univision | |
Complainant | Dane, Tony |
Respondent's counsel | Bowman, Chad |
HERMAN, ANTHONY | |
Kelner, Robert K., Esq. | |
Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz, LLP | |
McGinley, William J., Esq. | |
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP |