FEC Reduces Administrative Fines

In final rules issued on March 17, 2003, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) lowered the administrative fines applicable to committees with less than $50,000 in financial activity on reports they either file late or fail to file at all.

First, the FEC divided late- and non-filed financial reports into four brackets for activity of less than $50,000, and then it reduced both the base and per diem fines. For late-filed, non-election sensitive reports, the FEC reduced the fines between 12% and 79%. For late-filed election sensitive reports, the FEC reduced the fines between 7% and 66%. For non-filed non-election sensitive reports, which covers reports filed more than 30 days late or not at all, the FEC reduced the fines between 50% and 72%, and it reduced the fines applicable to non-filed election sensitive reports between 10% and 50%.

Separately, the FEC eliminated receipts and disbursements attributable to the payment of allocable nonfederal activity from the calculation of financial activity on a late-filed or non-filed report.

Administrative Fines, Final Rules, 68 Fed. Reg. 12, 572 (March 17, 2003).