[Vision2020] Idaho GOP fined $10,000

[Mark Solomon]

Apr 17, 5:32 PM EDT

Idaho GOP pays $10,000 penalty for 2002 report irregularities

By CHRISTOPHER SMITH
Associated Press Writer

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- The Idaho Republican Party has agreed to pay a 
$10,000 fine and to boost internal accounting procedures after a 
federal audit found numerous irregularities and violations of 
campaign contribution reporting regulations during the 2002 election 
year.

The Federal Election Commission announced the negotiated settlement 
with the Idaho GOP Monday, although the agreement was signed in 
December after it was approved in August 2005 by the members of the 
federal commission that oversees political campaign contribution laws.

The FEC said it was making the case public now because it was part of 
a handful of recent cases that were closed through the commission's 
alternative dispute resolution program, which is intended to speed up 
enforcement actions through mediated settlements. Some of the 
personal information in the case file had to be redacted before it 
was made public.

"The alternative dispute resolution circumvents a full process and 
allows respondents who say, 'Yeah, I guess we did violate these laws' 
to settle the case quickly," said Ian Stirton, a spokesman for the 
FEC in Washington.

The Idaho Republican Party was audited by FEC investigators after 
financial misstatements and missing information were noticed in the 
2002 election year disclosure reports the state party is required to 
file with the federal government.

FEC auditors found that party records for contributions received 
during the 2002 campaign did not disclose occupations or employers 
for 31 percent of the donors for a total of more than $98,000 in 
contributions. Federal law requires political committees to disclose 
occupations and names of employers of anyone donating more than $200 
within the calendar year. Treasurers of the political committee must 
attempt to make a "best effort" to gather the employment and 
occupation data if it is not included with the contribution.

The FEC audit found 90 percent of contribution entries listed on 
reports by the party headquarters included the notation "information 
requested" but the party could not prove it had made any follow-up 
request to donors for the missing occupation and employer information.

According to enforcement case documents released Monday by the FEC, 
Idaho GOP officials blamed the failure to obtain contributor 
information on staff turnover and the lack of a full-time 
professional staff member familiar with reporting requirements. The 
party has since contracted with professional reporting staff, has 
created new internal accounting procedures and is sending follow-up 
letters to 2002 contributors whose information is still missing.

Besides the $10,000 civil penalty imposed by the FEC, the party 
agreed to determine whether all data from contributions is accounted 
for before the money is spent by the party and to file amended 2002 
campaign finance reports disclosing the occupations and employers of 
contributors.

Idaho Republican Party officials did not immediately return calls to 
The Associated Press on Monday seeking comment.

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