| Request that the Board waive the $3,00 and $2,000 campaign finance late fees assessed against St. Tammany DPEC PAC, a political action committee, its committee's chairperson, Sean Morrison, and treasurer, Marie Wade, whose January and May 2019 Monthly campaign finance reports were filed 55 and 16 days late, respectively. |
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Sean Morrison, chairperson for St.Tammany DPEC PAC, states that they did not anticipate the difficulty they found themselves in when their treasurer, Mr. Harlan, became ill and had to leave town to receive a bone marrow transplant in Houston. He states Mr. Harlan filed the December 2018 monthly report in January 2019 before he resigned as treasurer. The board then elected Marie Wade as its new treasurer to take over filing the monthly reports.
Mr. Morrison states that he did not know the January 2019 report was late until Mr. Harlan told him that he had received a Notice of Delinquency. He states the filing delay was due to the fact that Ms. Wade was not a signatory on the PAC's bank account and she could not view the bank statements to complete the monthly reports. He states it took extensive negotiations and phone calls from Mr. Harlan in Houston before she was added as a signatory. When Ms. Wade did get access to Leaders to file the reports, he states she realized she needed to know the identity of each individual donor. He stated that information was held on Act Blue, an online company that processes contributions. She applied for access to Act Blue which was not granted until June 11, 2019. He states Ms. Wade's aunt also died unexpectedly on June 7, 2019.
New policies have now been adopted to make sure that all monthly reports are timely filed in the future.
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TYPE OF REPORT: 2019 January & May Monthly
DAYS LATE: 55 & 16
ASSESSED FEE: $3,000 & $2,000
REPORT DUE: February 11, 2019 & June 10, 2019
REPORT FILED: April 7, 2019 & June 26, 2019
ACTIVITY REPORTED: Jan- $6,000 in Receipts, $6,618.01 in Disbursements and $496.16 Funds on Hand at Close of Reporting Period
May - $185 in Receipts, $653.17 in Disbursements and $359.88 Funds at the Close of Reporting Period
OTHER LATE FILINGS: NONE
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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. 18:1484.(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 for each of the January and May 2019 monthly reports. The late fee must be paid within 30 days or the suspended portion becomes due and owing.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Jennifer Land |
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