Week of May 13 – 17, 2024

Commission meetings and hearings

On May 14 and 16, the Commission met in executive session.

On May 16, the Commission held an open meeting.

Enforcement

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

MUR 8026

COMPLAINANT: Rebecca Joy Faust
RESPONDENT: Republicans Against RINOs PAC, Inc.
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Republicans Against RINOs PAC, Inc. (1) engaged in federal election-related activity but failed to register as a political committee and (2) failed to disclose independent expenditures opposing Joe Kent, a 2022 candidate for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter.

MUR 8127

COMPLAINANT: Tiffany Muller, End Citizens United
RESPONDENTS: LaLota for Congress and Thomas Datwyler, in his official capacity as treasurer (Federal Committee); LaLota for New York L4NY (State Committee); and Nick LaLota
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the State Committee made and the Federal Committee received prohibited in-kind and monetary transfers totaling $1,525, including $525 that the State Committee disbursed to a vendor that would later receive disbursements from the Federal Committee. LaLota was a 2022 candidate for New York’s 1st Congressional District.
DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Commission made public three closed cases, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Alternative Dispute Resolution search system.

ADR 1153

COMPLAINANT: Jeremy David Kantorowicz
RESPONDENT: Libertarian National Committee, Inc. and Todd C. Hagopian, in official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Committee failed to properly itemize or disclose disbursements paid with the Committee’s credit card, specifically referencing incurred credit card debts disclosed on the Committee’s 2023 July, August, and September Monthly Reports totaling $38,240.16.
DISPOSITION: The Commission voted to dismiss the matter.

ADR 1154

COMPLAINANT: Anthony Spangler
RESPONDENT: Mark Houck for Congress and Joseph LePera, in official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Committee failed to include legal disclaimers on campaign materials and in solicitations for campaign contributions, failed to collect contributor information, and failed to establish a campaign committee bank account or depository.
DISPOSITION: The Commission voted to dismiss the matter.

ADR 1155

COMPLAINANT: FEC-Initiated
RESPONDENT: People’s Action Power and Marta Popadiak, in official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
SUBJECT: In the normal course of exercising its supervisory responsibilities, the Commission initiated proceedings to determine whether there was reason to believe the Committee failed to disclose all financial activity on its 2021 Mid-Year and Year-End Reports.
DISPOSITION: The Committee agreed to 1) certify that it performed a reconciliation of the Committee’s accounts prior to filing each required FEC report for one year, 2) certify annually for two years that the Committee continued to retain the services of a compliance firm, and 3) pay a civil penalty of $10,950.

Regulations and agency procedures

Proposed Directive Concerning Requests to Withhold, Redact, or Modify Contributors' Identifying Information On May 16, the Commission discussed a proposed Directive that would have adopted a process for the Commission to consider certain requests to withhold, redact, or modify contributors’ identifying information required to be obtained and reported under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act). The Directive would have permitted the Commission to grant exemptions to the Act’s reporting requirements where organizations or individual contributors demonstrate “a reasonable probability” that such disclosure “will subject [contributors] to threats, harassment, or reprisals from either Government officials or private parties.” The Commission was unable to approve the proposed Directive by the required four affirmative votes. The Commission voted to direct the Office of General Counsel to draft a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning such requests within 75 days. The Commission received eight comments in response to the proposed Directive. On May 16, Commissioner Allen J. Dickerson issued a Statement on the Proposed Directive.

Litigation

FEC v. Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9, et al. (Case No.24-1450). On May 17, the Commission filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 Political Action Committee for their failure to comply with the terms of the parties’ conciliation agreement with the Commission resulting from Matter Under Review (MUR) 7028, which was closed in 2018.

Commissioner statements

On May 16, Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum issued a Statement Urging Congress to Amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to Eliminate the Public Disclosure of Contributors’ Street Names and Street Numbers.

Outreach

On May 15, Vice Chair Ellen L. Weintraub spoke virtually to members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the FEC’s role in the U.S. election process.

On May 16, Vice Chair Weintraub and Commissioner Shana M. Broussard gave remarks at the Commission’s celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month organized by the agency’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Council. The celebration featured remarks from Commissioner Glenn Magpantay of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Website Initiatives

On May 16, the Commission retired its legacy Enforcement Query System (EQS). Researchers can still search matters closed under the Alternative Dispute Resolution program, closed Matters Under Review (MURs), cases processed under the Administrative Fines program, Audit cases, and information and statistics about the FEC’s enforcement programs dating back to 1975 on the Enforcement page of the FEC website. From the home page, users can navigate to this page from the Legal Resources tab.

Public Disclosure

On May 15, the Office of the Inspector General released its Semi-Annual Report to Congress: October 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.

Press releases

FEC discusses proposed Directive regarding requests to redact contributor information, approves candidate’s eligibility for matching funds (issued May 16)

FEC retires Enforcement Query System (issued May 16)

FEC declares Pence eligible to receive 2024 matching funds, approves initial date of ineligibility (issued May 17)

FEC files suit in U.S. District Court to enforce terms of conciliation agreement (issued May 17)

FEC cites committee for failure to file 12-Day Pre-Primary Financial Report (issued May 17)

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

June 4, 2024: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

June 6, 2024: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

June 25, 2024: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

June 27, 2024: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

Upcoming educational opportunities

May 21-22, 2024: The Commission will host a webinar for trade associations and their PACs.

June 5, 2024: The Commission will host a webinar for nonconnected PACs.

For more information on upcoming training opportunities, see the Commission’s Trainings page.

Upcoming reporting due dates

May 20: May Monthly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2024 Monthly Reporting schedule.

Additional research materials

Election Dates. The Commission has posted 2024 Presidential and Congressional Primary Dates, which are subject to change.

Contribution Limits. In addition to the current limits, the Commission has posted an archive of contribution limits that were in effect going back to the 1975-1976 election cycles.

Federal Elections 2020: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is available. The data was compiled from the official vote totals published by state election offices.

FEC Notify: Want to be notified by email when campaign finance reports are received by the agency? Sign up here.

The Combined Federal State Disclosure and Election Directory is available. 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 Presidential Election Campaign Fund Tax Checkoff Chart provides information on balance of the Fund, monthly deposits into the Fund reported by the Department of the Treasury, payments from the Fund as certified by the FEC, and participation rates of taxpayers as reported by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information on the Presidential Public Funding Program, see the Public Funding of Presidential Elections page.

The FEC Record is available as a continuously updated online news source.

Other election-related resources

Videos on protecting U.S. elections. The FBI’s Protected Voices initiative provides videos designed to help political campaigns protect themselves from foreign influence. The 2019 videos offer guidance on ransomware, business email compromise, supply chain, social media literacy, and foreign influence operations. Other videos, released in 2018, include cyber hygiene topics such as social engineering, patching, router hardening, and app and browser safety.

Join the FEC on X and YouTube

Follow @FEC on X to receive the latest information on agency updates, news releases, and weekly activity. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, FECTube: FECConnect on Demand, to watch instructional videos that have been designed to help candidates and committees comply with federal campaign finance laws. Note that the FEC is not currently available through other social media platforms. The use of the agency’s logo, name, and likeness on other media has not been authorized by the FEC.