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Request that the Board waive four (4) $1,000 campaign finance late fees and a $2,000 civil penalty for inaccurately filing a campaign finance report, assessed against Louis Johnson, a candidate for Caddo Parish Commission Member, District 12, in the October 14, 2017 election, whose 30-P, 10-P, EDE-P, and 10-G Campaign finance disclosure reports were filed 64, 97, 77, and 62 days late and a 10-G campaign fiance report that was inaccurately filed. |
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Louis Johnson states that he is a first time political candidate and he trusted a friend to handle the filing of the campaign reports. He states he thought his friend was knowledgeable and qualified. He states though his friend is a kind and decent person, he discovered that as it related to campaign requirements and filing details, he appeared to be neither. Mr. Johnson states that he understands that he is responsible for the timely filing of his reports. Throughout the process if he received a call he would forward it to his preparer and thought that it was addressed. During this period he has been working on various properties and was not consistently domiciled at his address while renovating so he was unaware and did not receive numerous letters that were sent to inform him that he was out of compliance with filing reports.
Unfortunately, his friend died a couple of months ago and his wife provided him with the files that he was keeping for him. It was then that he realized that his report preparer had not been communicating on his behalf and that he had been assessed fines. When he became aware of this, he then contacted the Ethics Office. He also made a personal trip to Baton Rouge in an attempt to correct and take care of any and all reports that were not filed or outstanding.
Finally, he states that he has spent 34 years in public service as a firefighter and is now retired. He respects the campaign laws and understands that they should be followed. He has now obtained the services of a reputable CPA that is familiar with campaign filing.
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ELECTION: October 14, 2017
TYPES OF REPORT: 30-P, 10-P, EDE-P & 10-G and 10-G Civil Penalty
DAYS LATE: 64, 97, 77 & 62
ASSESSED FEE: $1,000, $1,000, $1,000, $1,000 and $2,000
REPORTS DUE: September 14, 2017; October 4, 2017; October 24, 2017; November 8, 2017 and November 8, 2017
REPORTS FILED: November 17, 2017; January 9, 2018; January 9, 2018; January 9, 2018 and January 9, 2018
ACTIVITY REPORT: 30-P $4,650 Receipts; $2,284.59 Expenditures; $2,365.41 Funds on Hand at the Close of Reporting Period.
10-P: $3,000 Receipts; $3,087.59 Expenditures; $2,277.82 Funds on Hand at the Close of Reporting Period.
EDE-P: $1,375- Services of Election Day Workers; $192 -Payments to Organizations
10-G: $2,200 Receipts; $3,878 Expenditures; $599.82 Funds on Hand at the Close of Reporting Period.
OTHER LATE FILINGS: ONE
40-G (453 days)- $1,000 - Sent to AG's office
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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 for each day until such report is filed.
18:1495.4D(1) If the final report of a candidate for an election, as required by Paragraph (5), (6), or (7)of Subsection B of this Section, shows a deficit or a surplus, the candidate and his treasurer, if any, shall file supplemental reports with the supervisory committee of all information required in R.S. 18:1495.5. Such reports shall be filed annually no later than February fifteenth and shall be complete through the preceding December thirty-first. Such a supplemental report shall be filed each year until a report has been filed which shows no deficit and until any surplus campaign funds have been disposed of in accordance with R.S. 18:1505.2(I). The report on surplus funds shall disclose the disbursement of such funds in the same manner as expenditures are reported.
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Decline to waive for the 30-P, 10-P, EDE-P & 10-G reports and the civil penalty for the inaccurate filing of the 10-G report.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Jennifer Land |
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