1. Ratification of the Minutes of the December 18, 2024 Meeting
Motion: To ratify the December 18, 2024 minutes
Made by: Commissioner Ahearn
Seconded by: Commissioner Hastings
Vote: 4-0 (Commissioner LeClaire abstained having not attended the 12/18/24 Commission Meeting)
2. Complaint Alleging Coordinated Expenditure by Maine Senate Republican PAC
In mid-October 2024, the Maine Senate Republican PAC sent a postcard mailing in support of State Senate candidate Richard Bradstreet. The Commission received a complaint that the mailing is an illegal contribution to Sen. Bradstreet because the PAC cooperated on the mailing with the candidate’s treasurer. The PAC explains that its consultant who organized the mailing approached the outgoing State Senator about a written endorsement of Sen. Bradstreet without realizing that the outgoing State Senator was Sen. Bradstreet’s treasurer.
Motion: To find the Maine Senate Republicans PAC violated 21-A M.R.S. § 1015(2-B) by making a contribution and assess fine of $1,000.
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Hastings
Vote: 5-0
Motion: To find the Maine Senate Republicans PAC violated 21-A M.R.S. § 1004-A(5) by making material false statement and to assess no fine.
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Ahearn
Vote: 5-0
3. Request for Penalty Waiver – Hon. Roger Albert
Rep. Roger Albert, a candidate for the Maine House of Representatives, was required to file two 24-Hour Reports on October 26 and 29, 2024. His treasurer filed the reports on November 21. Rep. Albert requests a waiver of the combined preliminary penalties of $2,482.60 because the late filings were unintended and due to an honest mistake. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommends reducing the combined penalty for both reports to $400.
Motion: To find the reports were filed late and reduce the penalty to $400
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Marble
Vote: 5-0
4. Request for Penalty Waiver – Steven Bishop
Rep. Steven Bishop, a candidate for the Maine House, was required to file a 24-Hour Report on October 29, 2024. The report was filed on December 11. Rep. Bishop requests a waiver of the preliminary penalty of $2,707.62, explaining that the campaign did not know a report was due because of a failure in communication. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommends reducing the combined penalty to $300.
Motion: To find the report was filed late and reduce the penalty to $300
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Marble
Vote: 5-0
5. Request for Penalty Waiver – Hon. Walter Runte
Rep. Walter Runte, a candidate for the Maine House, was required to file a 24-Hour Report on October 25, 2024. His treasurer, Michelle Marean, filed the report on December 20, 2024. Rep. Runte requests a waiver of a preliminary penalty of $1,275.55. In the waiver request, Rep. Runte stated he did not understand that a 24-Hour Report was due when he obligated himself to pay for a postcard mailing. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommends reducing the penalty to $300.
Motion: To find the report was filed late and reduce the penalty to $300
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner LeClaire
Vote: 5-0
6. Request for Penalty Waiver – Hon. Joseph Rafferty, Jr.
Sen. Joseph Rafferty, Jr., a candidate for the Maine Senate, was required to file a 24-Hour Report on October 30, 2024. His treasurer filed the report on December 11, 2024. Sen. Rafferty requests a waiver of a preliminary penalty of $5,000. In the waiver request, Sen. Rafferty stated because he agreed to the services during the 42-Day Pre-General reporting period, a 24-Hour Report was not required. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommends reducing the penalty to $300.
Motion: To find the report was filed late and reduce the penalty to $300
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner LeClaire
Vote: 5-0
7. Complaint by William Clardy about Websites
The Commission will consider a complaint by Mr. William Clardy concerning the disclaimers on websites promoting 2024 candidates and whether candidates received in-kind contributions of website-related services that violated the terms of their participation in the Maine Clean Election Act.
Motion: To find the attribution was inaccurate and violated 21-A M.R.S. § 1014(1), the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee violated 21-A M.R.S. § 1014(1) with respect to the payment and to assess a penalty of $159.50 for the aggregated subscription fee.
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Marble
Vote: 5-0
8. Request for Penalty Waiver – Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd, a candidate for the Maine House, was required to file a 24-Hour Report on November 1, 2024. The report was filed on December 20. Mr. Boyd requests a waiver of the preliminary penalty of $2,262.62, because of his inexperience as a candidate and because his treasurer had a family emergency. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommends reducing the preliminary penalty to $300.
Motion: To find the report was filed late and reduce the penalty to $300
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Marble
Vote: 5-0
9. Request for Penalty Waiver – Reda Edelman
Reda Edelman, a candidate for the Maine House, was required to file a 24-Hour Report on October 31, 2024. The report was filed on December 17. The campaign requests a waiver of the preliminary penalty of $1,851.80 because the candidate and treasurer were new to campaign finance reporting and the treasurer did not receive the necessary information. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommends reducing the preliminary penalty to $300.
Motion: To find the report was filed late and reduce the penalty to $300.
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Marble
Vote: 5-0
10. Proposed Stakeholder Group to Simplify Pre-Election Deadlines
The Commission will discuss a suggestion it received at a previous meeting that the Legislature or the Commission should put together a working group or stakeholder group to discuss the deadlines for 24-Hour and Independent Expenditure reports.
Motion: To convene a stakeholder group to discuss issues about reporting towards the end of election seasons, and to try to uncomplicate them by making recommendations for statute or rule changes.
Made by: Commissioner Schneider
Seconded by: Commissioner Marble
Vote: 5-0
Executive Session (if necessary)
Other Business
ADJOURNMENT 11:19 a.m.