| Request that the Board waive the $2,000 campaign finance late fees assessed against Coastal Impac whose July 2013 Monthly campaign finance disclosure reports were filed 74 days late. |
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In connection with his request that the Board consider to waive the late fee assessed for the late filing of the report, Norbert Chabert chairman for Coastal Impac states that in 2011, a checking account was opened at Coastal Commerce Bank in the name of Coastal IMPAC with the intentions of opening a Political Action committee under the same name. An initial deposit from Senator Chabert in the amount of $300 was used to open the account. The account had remained open since that date, with no activity other than bank service fee. He states that in May 2013, they went forward and completed the Statement of Organization with the initial fee of $100 that was drawn from that checking account. At that time Gene Ardoin, his political campaign manager made calls to Ethics regarding questions on filing in which she was told that as long as there was no activity they did not have to file the monthly report. However if there was any activity in that month a report was required. To her knowledge no activity occurred. Certified letters were sent stating that the PAC was delinquent on the reporting and when calls were made to the Board she explained the situation in its entirety regarding the opening of the account and they repeatedly told her again that if there was no activity, no report was needed. With the last certified letter in October, Mrs. Ardoin called again and spoke with Gene Dawson who assisted her in filing zeros for the reporting period to avoid receiving the delinquent letters. This would be the first report to be filed for Coastal Impac. An opening amount had to be put in and he suggested to her to put the original amount in the account and show the initial check that was written for the Statement of Organization fee. He says they did not report before because the check was written before the Articles of Organization were formed. Mr. Dawson advised Mrs. Ardoin to go ahead and put it with the opening balance. He says there was no malicious intent, nor blatant disregard to file. It was simply a misunderstanding of what needed to be done.
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ELECTION: N/A
TYPE OF REPORT: July 2013 Monthly
DAYS LATE: 74
ASSESSED FEE: $2,000
REPORT DUE: August 10, 2013
REPORT FILED: October 23, 2013
ACTIVITY REPORTED: $314.00 in receipts, $100.00 in expenditures, and $214.00 funds on hand
OTHER LATE FILINGS: 0
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18:1505.4.A(1) Any candidate, the treasurer or chairman of a political committee, or any other person required to file any reports under this Chapter, who knowingly fails to file or who knowingly fails to timely file any such reports as are required by this Chapter may be assessed a civil penalty as provided in R.S.42:1157 for each day until such report is filed. 18:1484.(2)(b). Each candidate for any other public office shall file reports of contributions in excess of two hundred dollars in the aggregate during the aggregating period.
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Suspend all but $500 based on future compliance.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Aneatra Boykin |
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