FEC cites committees for failure to file 12-Day Pre-Primary Financial Report

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission cited 20 campaign committees today for failing to file the 12-Day Pre-Primary Report required by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), for primary elections being held on March 3, 2020 in California, North Carolina, and Texas.

As of February 28, 2020, the required disclosure report had not been received from:

• United Forward 2020 Benzel for Congress (CA-04)
• Tom Gallagher—Congress—2020 (CA-12)
• Buzz Patterson for Congress (CA-07)
• Marisa Calderon for Congress (CA-50)
• Fountain for Congress (CA-53)
• Fuller for North Carolina (NC)
• Huffman for NC (NC-13)
• Committee to Elect Bill Brewster (NC-12)
• Derwin Montgomery For Congress (NC-06)
• Eddie Bernice Johnson for Congress (TX-30)
• Texans for Stovall (TX)
• Rey Gonzalez for Congress (TX-34)
• Committee to Elect Mauro Garza for US Congress (TX-20)
• Menefee for Congress (TX-09)
• Sema for Texas (TX)
• Sanjanetta Barnes for Congress (TX-14)
• Rosey for Congress Texas 23 (TX-23)
• Jack Daniel Foster Jr Campaign Committee for U.S. Senate-Texas (TX)
• Howard Steele for Congress (TX-22)
• Committee to Elect Douglas Haggard (TX-22)

The pre-primary report was due on February 20, 2020, and should have included financial activity for the period January 1, 2020, through February 12, 2020. If sent by certified or registered mail, the report should have been postmarked by February 17, 2020.

Some individuals and their committees have no obligation to file reports under federal campaign finance law, even though their names may appear on state ballots. If an individual raises or spends $5,000 or less, he or she is not considered a "candidate" subject to reporting under the Act.

The Commission notified committees involved in these primary elections of their potential filing requirements on January 31, 2020. Those committees that did not file by the due date were sent notification on February 21, 2020, that their reports had not been received and that their names would be published if they did not respond within four business days.

Other political committees that support Senate and House candidates in elections, but are not authorized units of a candidate's campaign, are also required to file quarterly reports, unless they report monthly. Those committee names are not published by the FEC.

Further Commission action against non-filers and late filers is decided on a case-by-case basis. Federal law gives the FEC broad authority to initiate enforcement actions, and the FEC has implemented an Administrative Fine program with provisions for assessing monetary penalties.