This file contains archived live captions of the open meeting of the Federal Election Commission held on December 06, 2018. This file is not a transcript of the meeting, and it has not been reviewed for accuracy or approved by the Federal Election Commission.


Good morning and welcome to the open meeting here today is December 6, 2000 and. The first matter is the collection of the minutes. 

Thank you I'm looking off- limits for the opening of her state November 15, 2000 November 15, 2008 machine. Thank you. All those in favor? Motion passes. 

The next matter is dropped advisory opinion 2018, Senator Ron Wyden, this matter was holdover previously and where the commission is requested to all over again, we got an extension from the senator. 

That is correct. Until next week.

To the 13th. 

That is the last public meeting, we will take that advisory opinion up next Thursday, definitely. 

Any questions? Comments? 

The next matter, the recommendation memorandum on Marsha Blackburn for Congress, we have a presentation . 

Good morning. Before you is the audit division recommendation memorandum on natural Blackburn --on Marsha Blackburn for Congress, the findings are finding the statement of financial activity, finding of disclosure of occupation and name of employer, and receipt of contributions in excess of the limit. We are available for any questions. 

Thank you. 

A few questions to make sure to clarify, on the statement of financial activity, the committee said it would be difficult to make the necessary amendments but they could do so in a way that materially corrected the misstatements, so that has been updated and clarified. 

That is correct. 

Similarly, with regard to the disclosure of occupation and employer, there were close to 200 names for which the information was not originally given but it is now amended as well and that is clarified. 

The final issue, when we dealt with, the redesignation issue, from what I understand, they sent out and received back retribution letters full of for now, originally three original was about 100,000 and was about 100,080 8000 was resolved through the interim report and the additional 12,000 was resolved after the draft report. 

Correct. 

Unlike the last matter we dealt with, there were statements that were given which I believe was the Paulson audit, statements given by committee employees indicated they sent that out and offered to submit to sworn declarations and there were other evidence -- and there was other evidence, we do not have similar information in this particular matter. 

We do not. 

It's been resolved, we do not have any evidence that there was timely --the timely submission of the re- attribution -- 

For that reason, on the similar finding on the audit, I voted to push that two additional issues, I thought there was enough evidence to indicate they had sent out the necessary letters in this case we do not have that similar evidence, I will support the finding as well as the other findings. >> Thank you for the clarifications. 

Any other questions/comments?

Thank you. I wanted to mention, we have a particular concern about some of the language that is used in finding three, of the report. That appears on page 13.

This statement is in question, it appears in the third paragraph under letter C, the report refers to the committee not providing the staff with any telephone logs or timely letters to support the statement, we have a concern about the retention of the illusion to telephone logs, it is our view that under the regulation and according to the reasoning of the explanation that there is -- reasoning of the explanation, telephone logs would not be legal , would not be a legal form of evidence of the attributions. It is our view, the reference to the part with any telephone logs should be excised from the report.

Thank you. 

Any questions?

I would just clarify, the actual draft report was sent to the committee on October 12, not something where we could change the report, if the commission directs us, we can excised that if we are given direction to do so by the commissioners. 

Thank you. 

Is there a motion? 

Thank you. With respect to the division recommendation memorandum, one Marsha Blackburn for Congress, I move approval of the recommendation, I set forth your budget --I support the agenda document, we instruct the division to excise the phrase, any telephone logs or from the appropriate portion of the draft final report and make that change in the final report that will be forthcoming. 

Thank you. >> A point of clarification, we will bear in mind, we will excised that --will excised that as we drafted and we will propose the final report chat -- the final audit report, is Commissioner Peterson and that is adopted, would we change something that is in your view we cannot change at this point? 

My understanding, I'm not sure if I captured what you said, my understanding is the next stage of the order report we would excised that portion, that was in the draft, which we cannot change because it was already sent out to the committee. 

Okay. It was sent out on October 12. 

Yes. The intention, my motion was to excise the language from the report, and so to the extent that needs to be resubmitted to the committee for the review, I do not think it would need to be. 

Any other comments? All those in favor? The motion passes.

I want to take a minute -- we have a new member, she is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia law school. Welcome, Katie. This concludes the business of the meeting today. It was a short meeting. A very short meeting. We will be back again next Thursday. In the meantime, any administrative matters we need to discuss? 

There are no such matters. 

This meeting is adjourned.