GOP group fined $26K for campaign violations

[Maine-ah]

Source: BDN

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Ethics Commission handed down the largest fine in the agency’s history on Thursday against an out-of-state political action committee that spent nearly $400,000 on attack ads against five Democratic lawmakers last October.

Commission members voted unanimously to fine the Republican State Leadership Committee $26,000 for failing to file timely and accurate reports about the expenditures. The commission found that the late filings delayed matching fund payments to the targeted Democrats, all of whom lost their campaigns to GOP opponents.

“It doesn’t sound like much, one to two days, but when it is the last few days of the election, it is significant,” Commissioner Michael Healy said. The panel had originally recommended a $41,000 penalty.

The Virginia-based Republican State Leadership Committee spent $398,970 on television and radio ads as well as mass mailings against five Democratic Senate candidates: Sen. Joe Perry of Bangor, Rep. Jim Schatz of Blue Hill, Sen. Deborah Simpson of Auburn, Rep. Pamela Trinward of Waterville and Rep. Patsy Crockett of Augusta.

Read more: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/02/17/politics/gop-group-fined-26k-for-campaign-violations/

[Bozita]

1. I'm betting this isn't the kind of election fraud the GOPers are bitching about.

[Newsjock]

2. $26k = cost of doing business

They blow that much out their nose when they sneeze. Let's have fines that truly deter this type of illegal activity from happening again.

[Maine-ah]

3. +1

this is just pocket change, I agree.

[savalez]

4. So basically it cost them $424,970.

This is ridiculous. They are just going to do it again and again and calculate the fine into the cost. All the while depriving Dems of matching funds.

Faux News should be all over this! :sarcasm:

I'm telling you, Pubs are always doing what they accuse others of doing.

[quakerboy]

5. Maybe we should start charging car thieves $20 for each car they steal

But they get to keep the car.

Fines and penalties should be enough to actually have an effect. This isnt a consequence. This is making a kid you cought tagging the side of your house put his signature on his art work.

[savalez]

6. excellent comparisons.

[Ricepaper]

7. We should do more than fine these folks: we should take away their winnings

In other words, at a certain level of fraud, the election results should be suspended and a new one held.