Week of April 24 - April 28, 2017

Commission meetings and hearings

• On April 26 and 27, the Commission held an executive session. The open meeting previously scheduled for April 27 was canceled.

Advisory opinions

Advisory Opinion Request 2017-03 (American Association of Clinical Urologists, Inc. et al.) 

On April 27, the Commission made public Advisory Opinion Request 2017-03. Requestors ask whether the American Association of Clinical Urologists remains affiliated with the American Urological Association. The Commission must issue a response no later than 60 days after the receipt of the complete request, that is, by June 26, 2017.

Enforcement

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

MURs 6783 and 6791

• COMPLAINANT: Scott Pierce
  
• RESPONDENTS: Manju for Congress, Inc. and Rajeev Goel, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); Manju Goel; Indian Americans for Freedom, NFPC (IAFF); and Shalabh Kumar
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint in MUR 6783 alleged that IAFF and its founder Kumar made and the Committee accepted and failed to report excessive or prohibited in-kind contributions when IAFF (1) provided free office space and payments for staff and contractor salaries, bus travel, and legal services and (2) coordinated with the Committee its mailers supporting Goel, a 2014 primary election candidate for Illinois’s 8^th Congressional District, some of which contained material appearing in the Committee’s own campaign mailings. The complaint in MUR 6791 alleged further that IAFF filed a 48-hour Independent Expenditure report two days late and failed to include adequate disclaimers on its mailings supporting Goel.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found reason to believe IAFF republished in one of its own mailings campaign material prepared by the Committee and entered into a conciliation agreement providing for IAFF to pay a civil penalty of $3,500. The Commission found no reason to believe IAFF or Kumar made and the Committee accepted and failed to report excessive or prohibited in-kind contributions in the form of free office space, payments for salaries, and bus travel. The Commission dismissed the allegation as to the provision of legal services. The Commission closed the files in connection with the remaining allegations in the two matters.
  

MURs 7020 and 7021

• COMPLAINANT: L. Burke Files and David B. Coward
  
• RESPONDENTS: Paul Babeu for Congress and Chris Marston, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); and Paul Raymond Babeu
  
• SUBJECT: The complaints alleged that Babeu, a 2016 candidate for Arizona’s 1^st Congressional District, failed to file his Statement of Candidacy in a timely manner.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter in consideration of Commission priorities. The Commission observed that the Committee took corrective action and that the untimely Statement of Candidacy did not cause the Committee to miss filing a required quarterly report.
  

MUR 7105

• COMPLAINANT: American Democracy Legal Fund
  
• RESPONDENT: Caleb Crosby; and American Action Network, Inc. (AAN)
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Crosby and AAN provided an inaccurate Independent Expenditure report.
  
• DISPOSITION: Given the amount at issue and the steps that would be required to establish the facts, the Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter in consideration of Commission priorities.

Educational programs

On April 26, the Commission hosted a Trade Association Webinar. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

• May 9: The Commission is scheduled to hold an executive session.

• May 11: 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.

Join the FEC on Twitter and YouTube

Follow @FEC on Twitter 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 at this time. The use of the agency’s logo, name, and likeness on other mediums has not been authorized by the FEC.

Upcoming educational programs

• May 17: Party Committee Webinar. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

• June 7: Candidate Committee Webinar. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

Upcoming reporting due dates

• May 20: May Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

The Commission has posted the filing deadlines for Alabama’s Rescheduled Special Senate Primary, Runoff and General Elections. For information on reporting dates for this election, refer to the Revised Special Election Report Notice.

Additional research materials

The Official 2016 Presidential General Election Results are available in the Library section of the website. This listing was compiled from the official vote totals published by state election offices.

Additional research materials about the agency, campaign finance information, and election results are available through the Library section of the Commission website.

The latest 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 Commission has published the April Record newsletter. Sign up to receive email notification when new Record articles are posted.

The 2017 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.

Coming soon!

FEC.gov is getting an update next month, following a redesign to provide the public with easier access to campaign finance information. After that date, users can still view an archive copy of the current website at classic.FEC.gov. Preview our new designs at beta.fec.gov , and let us know what you think. Use our anonymous feedback tool or email webmanager@fec.gov.