The Federal Election Commission slapped Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign with a fine of nearly $3,000 for failing to disclose donations.
The civil penalty stems from the so-called 48-hour notices candidates are required to file for donations received in the days before an election. The FEC found the Sullivan campaign received four contributions before the Primary and seven before the General Election that weren’t properly disclosed. The total amount of the donations in question comes to just over $25,000. Most — if not all – of them appear to be from out of state. The campaign, all told, raised almost $8 million.
FEC documents say the fine was paid in April, before the commission put the case on the public record this week. Sullivan spokesman Mike Anderson says the FEC action follows the campaign’s self-reported error.
The period covered by the 48-hour rule starts 20 days before and ends 48 hours before Election Day. The FEC must receive the notice within 48 hours of the campaign’s receipt of the donation.
The campaign of Sullivan’s rival, Mark Begich, also got letters from the FEC with questions about apparent mistakes in their 48-hour reports. The Begich campaign treasurer acknowledge “inadvertant errors” and filed — or refiled — a series of 48-hour reports months after Election Day.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
