Week of June 19 – June 23, 2017

Commission meetings and hearings

• On June 21 and 22, the Commission held an executive session.
  
• On June 22, the Commission held an open meeting. 
• On June 22, the Commission held an open audit hearing on the Illinois Republican Party.

Advisory opinions

Advisory opinions issued

Advisory Opinion 2017-01 (American Urological Association)

On June 22, the Commission issued an advisory opinion in response to a request from the American Urological Association, Inc. (AUA). The Commission concluded that the AUA is no longer affiliated with the American Association of Clinical Urologists, Inc. (AACU). During the discussion, the Commission heard from Counsel for the requestor. On June 21, the Commission had made public a draft of the advisory opinion.

Advisory Opinion 2017-03 (American Association of Clinical Urologists/UROPAC, Inc.)

On June 22, the Commission issued an advisory opinion in response to a request from the AACU and its separate segregated fund, UROPAC. The Commission concluded that the AACU is no longer affiliated with the AUA. During the discussion, the Commission heard from the requestor and Counsel for the requestor. On June 20, the Commission had made public a supplement to the request. On June 21, the Commission had made public a comment on and a draft of the advisory opinion.

Enforcement

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

MUR 6990

• COMPLAINANT: Douglas D. Head
  
• RESPONDENTS: Friends of Patrick Murphy and Brian Foucart, in his official capacity as treasurer; Ami Bera for Congress and Jennifer May, in her official capacity as treasurer; Kevin Strouse for Congress and Robert Fader, in his official capacity as treasurer; Thomas P. Murphy, Jr.; Leslie Murphy; Babulal Bera; and Robert Strouse
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the respondents participated in a “donor swap” scheme to make contributions in the names of others for the purpose of evading the contribution limits of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act).
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe the respondents violated the Act because the available information does not support the complainant’s allegations that the contributions at issue were not made with the personal funds of the named contributors.
  

MUR 7079

• COMPLAINANT: Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust
  
• RESPONDENTS: Ami Bera for Congress and Jennifer May, in her official capacity as treasurer; DelBene for Congress and Jay Patterson, in his official capacity as treasurer; Eggman for Congress and Jay Petterson, in his official capacity as treasurer; Stacey Lawson for Congress and Kevin Heneghan, in his official capacity as treasurer; Hulburd for Congress and David Beckham, in his official capacity as treasurer; Friends of Patrick Murphy and Brian Foucart, in his official capacity as treasurer; Scott Peters for Congress and Nicholas R. Femia, in his official capacity as treasurer; Sangisetty for Congress LLC and Kurt Fakier, in his official capacity as treasurer; Friends of Steve Pougnet and Kinde Durkee, in her official capacity as treasurer; Kevin Strouse for Congress and Ronald Fader, in his official capacity as treasurer; Dan Roberti for Congress and Daniel McClutchy, in his official capacity as treasurer; Dr. Raul Ruiz for Congress and John Pinkney, in his official capacity as treasurer; Titus for Congress and Jennifer May, in her official capacity as treasurer; Trivedi for Congress and Bret Binder, in his official capacity as treasurer; Committee to Re-elect Loretta Sanchez and Katharine Meyer Borst, in her official capacity as treasurer; Amerish “Ami” Bera; Babulal Bera; Kantu Bera; Janine Bera; Suzan DelBene; Michael Eggman; Stacey Lawson; Jon Hulburd; Patrick Murphy; Thomas P. Murphy, Jr.; Leslie Murphy; Scott Peters; Lynn Gorguze; Gloria Gorguze; Koti Sangisetty; Aruna Sangisetty; Ravi Sangisetty; Stephen P. Pougnet; Kevin Strouse; Robert Strouse; Daniel Francis Roberti; Dina Titus; dr. Raul Ruiz; Loretta Sanchez; and Manan Trevidi
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the respondents—14 candidates, their families, and campaign committees—participated in schemes to make contributions in the names of others between 2009 and 2015 in order to evade the Act’s individual contribution limits.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe the respondents violated the Act or Commission regulations because the available information does not support the complainant’s allegations that the contributions at issue were not made with the personal funds of the named contributors.
  

MUR 7087

• COMPLAINANT: American Democracy Legal Fund
  
• RESPONDENTS: Committee to Elect Alan Grayson and Dustin Andersen, in his official capacity as treasurer (the Committee); Alan Grayson; David Keith; and the Grayson Fund Management Company, LLC, The Grayson Fund General Partner, LLC, The Grayson Fund, LP, Grayson Master Fund, and The Grayson Fund, Ltd. (collectively, the Grayson entities)
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that the Grayson Investment Partnership, composed of the five individual business entity-respondents in this matter, made and the Committee accepted excessive contributions through payments to Keith, who worked for both the Grayson entities and the Committee. The complaint alleged further that the Committee failed to report the Grayson entities’ payments to Keith as contributions to the Committee.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe the respondents violated the Act or Commission regulations because the available information did not indicate that Keith received compensation from the Grayson entities for Committee work.
  

MUR 7121

• COMPLAINANT: Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust
  
• RESPONDENTS: Eggman for Congress and Jay Petterson, in his official capacity as treasurer (Eggman Committee) Michael Eggman; Ami Bera for Congress and Jennifer May, in her official capacity as treasurer (Bera Committee); and Babulal Bera
  
• SUBJECT: The complaint alleged that Eggman and the Committee knowingly participated in a “straw donor scheme” involving the reimbursement of one contribution by Babulal Bera in order to assist Bera in evading the individual contribution limits of the Act. Eggman was a 2014 candidate in California’s 10^th Congressional District. Ami Bera was a 2014 candidate in California’s 7^th Congressional District.
  
• DISPOSITION: The Commission found no reason to believe the respondents violated the Act or Commission regulations because the available information does not support the complainant’s allegation that the contributions at issue were not made with the funds of the named contributors.
  

Audits

Final Audit Report of the Commission on Ted Cruz for Senate

On June 22, the Commission issued the Final Audit Report of the Commission on Ted Cruz for Senate, covering financial activity between January 18, 2011, and December 31, 2012. The Commission approved one finding related to the reporting and disclosure of candidate loans.

Audit Division Recommendation Memorandum on the American Financial Services Association PAC. 

Prior to the June 22 open meeting, the Commission approved an Audit Division recommendation memorandum on the American Financial Services Association PAC, covering activity between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014. The memorandum disclosed findings and recommendations relating to the misstatement of financial activity and excessive contributions made to federal candidates.

Campaign finance reports

On June 20: June Monthly Reports were due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.

Commissioners' statements

Discussion of Commission’s Response to Alleged Foreign Interference in American Elections. On June 22, the Commission held over until its July 13 open meeting discussion of a Memorandum from Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub concerning the Commission’s response to alleged foreign interference in American elections.

Press releases

FEC Approves Two Advisory Opinions (issued June 22)

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

• July 11: The Commission is scheduled to hold an executive session.
  
• July 13: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting and executive session.
  
• 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

June 28: FECFile Webinar for Candidate Committees. Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website.

Upcoming reporting due dates

• July 15: July Quarterly Reports are due. For information on quarterly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Quarterly Reporting page of the Commission website.
  
• July 20: July Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website.
  
• July 31: Mid-Year reports are due. For more information on semiannual reporting dates, refer to the 2017 Semiannual Reporting page of the Commission website.
  

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 June Record, the last monthly publication of the newsletter. As of next month, The Record will be available solely as a continuously-updated online news source. 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.