MONTGOMERY, Ala.—Secretary of State Jim Bennett is urging
candidates and political action committees to be mindful of a September 4th
deadline to file campaign finance reports.
The new reporting schedule was required by reforms approved by the
legislature for candidates participating in the 2014 election cycle.
A few important changes will come with this September 4th
report. On August 1, the threshold for
all candidates, regardless of position sought, was lowered to $1,000.
Therefore, all candidates who have either raised or spent $1,000 in their
campaigns are required to file a report on September 4th with the secretary of
state or the probate judge, depending on the office sought.
Also beginning on that same date, penalties shall be assessed
for reports that are not timely or accurately filed with the respective filing
official. The amounts are as follows:
-First offense: $300 or 10 percent of the amount not
properly reported, whichever is greater.
-Second offense: $600 or 15 percent of the amount not
properly reported, whichever is greater.
-Third offense: $1,200 or 20 percent of the amount not
properly reported, whichever is greater.
-Fourth offense: A rebuttable presumption of intent to
violate the reporting requirements of the Fair Campaign Practices Act is
created.
Intentional violation of the Fair Campaign Practices Act
can be prosecuted by the Attorney General or the district attorney for the
appropriate jurisdiction, with penalties ranging from a Class A misdemeanor to
a Class B felony, depending on the offense.
“With these changes to the FCPA, we will have more
accurate reports from candidates and PACs,” said Bennett. “Campaign finance
disclosure is an essential tool for voters to use in deciding who the best
candidate may be. In passing campaign
finance reform and online reporting, the legislature took a major step
forward.”
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