Week of April 9 - April 13, 2018

Commission meetings and hearings

• On April 10, the Commission met in executive session.
  
• The open meeting previously scheduled for April 12 was canceled.
  

Litigation

• Campaign Legal Center, et al. v. FEC (Case No. 18-cv-00053)
  

On April 9, the Commission filed its Reply Memorandum in Support of Its Motion to Dismiss in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

• Doe, et al. v. FEC (Case No. 17-cv-02694)
  

On April 11, Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Enforcement

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

MUR 7132

• COMPLAINANTS: Amedisys Inc. (Amedisys) and Amedisys, Inc. PAC (Amed PAC)
  
• RESPONDENT: Michael David Pitts
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Pitts, former Vice President of Tax at Amedisys, knowingly and willfully commingled Amed PAC’s funds with his personal funds as part of an embezzlement scheme.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission agreed to accept a conciliation agreement without a civil penalty due to the mitigating circumstances presented by Pitts regarding his financial condition. If evidence is uncovered indicating Pitts is not experiencing a financial hardship as stated, a $119,000 civil penalty shall be immediately due.
  

MUR 7133

• COMPLAINANT: Howard S. Morris
  
• RESPONDENTS: Paul Chabot Congress and Kelly Lawler, in her official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); and Paul R. Chabot
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Committee accepted an excessive contribution and misreported the source when it failed to accurately report the origin of a March 2016 loan. Chabot was a 2014 and 2016 candidate for California’s 31st Congressional District.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission closed the file.
  

MUR 7260

• COMPLAINANT: Campaign Legal Center
  
• RESPONDENTS: Thomas E. Price; and Price for Congress and Paul Kilgore, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee)
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Price and the Committee converted campaign funds to personal use when the Committee disbursed $40,000 to America Rising Corporation for opposition research and grassroots lobbying activities to promote Price’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe a violation occurred in connection with this matter because, consistent with the principles of previous matters presented to the Commission, the nexus between Price and the activities paid for with campaign funds appears sufficient to satisfy the Commission’s standard that the related expenditures would not exist “irrespective” of Price’s position as a federal officeholder. There was also no evidence to support the complaint’s suggestion that the funds the Committee paid to America Rising Corporation were used to fund the grassroots lobbying activities to promote Price’s confirmation.
  

Alternative dispute resolution

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

ADR 826

• COMPLAINANT: FEC
  
• RESPONDENTS: Amedisys, Inc. (the Company) and Amedisys Inc. PAC (the Committee)
  
• SUBJECT: The Company and the Committee failed to disclose an unauthorized disbursement of $79,640 and an equivalent amount of receipts from payroll deductions on the 2013 December Monthly Report. The Company further failed to transfer payroll deductions to the Committee in a timely manner and to ensure the timely transfer of those deductions.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Company and the Committee agreed to develop and certify implementation of internal controls, amend the 2013 December Monthly Report, provide confirmation that the internal control procedures have been followed consistently for a year following the effective date of the agreement, and provide confirmation that payroll deductions have been timely transferred to the Committee per Company policy for a year.
  

Educational programs

On April 11, the Commission hosted a webinar for candidates, their committee staff members, and others looking to understand rules related to federal candidate committees.

Outreach

On April 12, Vice Chair Ellen L. Weintraub was a featured speaker at a conference of international experts on “E-Reporting in Political Party Finance,” at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania in Vilnius.

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

• April 24, 2018: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.
  
• April 26, 2018: 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.

Upcoming reporting due dates

• April 15: April Quarterly Reports are due. For more information on quarterly reporting dates, refer to the 2018 Quarterly Reporting page of the Commission website.
  
• Staff in the Reports Analysis Division (RAD) and Electronic Filing Office will be available until 8:00 pm eastern on Friday, April 13 to answer questions regarding the content and filing of reports. To reach RAD, call 800-424-9530 (press 5) or 202-694-1130. For help with technical issues relating to electronic filing, dial the same toll-free number and press 4 or call 202-694-1307.
  
• April 20: April Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2018 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.
  

The Commission has posted the filing deadlines for the Mississippi Senate Special Election. For information on reporting dates for this election, refer to the Special Election Report Notice.

Upcoming educational programs

• On April 25, the Commission will host a webinar for treasurers, staff members, consultants, and others looking to understand federal rules related to political party committees.
  

Additional information is available on the educational outreach page of the Commission website.

Additional research materials

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

Printed copies of the 2018 edition of Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are now available. Contact the Commission's Information Division at (202) 694-1100 or (800) 424-9530 (press 6, when prompted) to order printed copies of the CFR at no charge. You may also email the Information Division to place an order at info@fec.gov.

The 2017 Campaign Guide for Corporations and Labor Organizations is available. Other Campaign Guides are available, as well.

The 2018 Congressional Primary Election Dates list is available.

Federal Elections 2016: 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.

The 2017 edition of 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 FEC Record is available as a continuously updated online news source.

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.