Audit: Specter campaign violated FEC rules

Audit: Specter campaign violated FEC rules
Sloppy record-keeping blamed, but large fine is still possible.

By Josh Drobnyk | Call Washington Bureau
January 3, 2008



| Sen. Arlen Specter's 2004 re-election campaign collected more than $1 million in excessive contributions, failed to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in receipts from political party committees and political action committees, and missed a key reporting deadline before the primary election, according to a Federal Election Commission audit.

The findings are laid out in a 15-page report completed last month that accuses the campaign of neglecting to follow many basic FEC requirements during the Pennsylvania Republican's re-election race, first against fellow Republican Pat Toomey and then Democrat Joe Hoeffel. Specter spent more than $20 million during the campaign and eked out a victory in the primary against Toomey before easily defeating Hoeffel in the general election.

The FEC does not immediately issue penalties along with audits but said in the report that the commission may do so later. Because of the magnitude of the violation, the matter is likely to be referred to a dispute resolutions office or the general counsel's office where a fine would be handed down, a former commissioner said.

Any fine -- a large one would amount to $100,000-plus -- would have little impact on Specter's 2010 campaign war chest, which ended September with $2.8 million. Still, the campaign had spent more than $58,000 in legal fees on the audit through Sept. 30.

The campaign did not say whether disciplinary action has been taken toward campaign staff. In a written statement from treasurer Stephen Harmelin, who was treasurer during the 2004 race, the campaign said it ''has cooperated fully with the audit and has proactively taken steps to try and prevent any recurrences.'' It did not respond when asked to detail those steps.

more...

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/state/all-a8_5specter.6210077jan03,0,3046957.story

call me cynical but I find the timing interesting. I mean, wouldn't it be good (in a rovian probush way) to send a message to other centrist (in voice, not vote) republicans in the senate that if they are tempted to work with dems and buck bushco during the upcoming presidential election season: ala don't rock the cherry cart, or risk public retribution.

He's a repuke. Laws and Rules do not apply.

this comes out ... gee ... unrelated ... SARCASM :sarcasm: