| Request that the Board waive $600 and $1,897 campaign finance late fees assessed against Kerri Callais, a candidate for Councilman at Large, Eastern Division, St. Bernard Parish, in the October 24, 2015 and in the October 12, 2019 election, whose 2017 Supplemental and 30-P campaign finance disclosure reports were filed 12 and 32 days late. |
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Kerr Callais requests a wavier and states the following:
In reference to the 30-P: She completed the form and gave it to her clerk to file, not realizing that parish wide officials had to submit the forms electronically. It took several weeks to receive the certified letter stating that the form had been submitted incorrectly. As soon as she realized the error, she submitted the form electronically. She was unopposed so this form was in no way intentionally withheld. She would have to pay the fine herself, personally and would cause a hardship.
In reference to the 2017 Supp: The report was filed in a timely matter, however, she was contacted by a campaign finance staff member about some errors on her report. She was instructed to file corrected report and that she would not be assessed a late fee. She promptly re-filed the report and had not gotten any other correspondence on the matter and assumed after two years that the situation was rectified properly.
Staff Notes:
30-P report: The packet she received when she qualified as a candidate did not contain the report forms, since she was required to electronically filed. Ms. Callais has had a password to electronically file campaign finance reports since September 24, 2015 and has been electronically filing reports since that time.
2017 Supp: She initially filed the report on February 27, 2018. Staff sent her a letter on March 13, 2018 about amending the report. Staff called on April 9, 2018 and gave her her additional time until April 19, 2018 to submit it. She submitted the amendment on April 10, 2018.
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ELECTION: October 24, 2015 and October 12, 2019
TYPES OF REPORT: 2017 SUPP & 30-P
DAYS LATE: 12 & 32
ASSESSED FEE: $600 & $1,897
REPORTS DUE: February 15, 2018 & September 12, 2019
REPORTS FILED: February 27, 2018 & October 14, 2019
ACTIVITY REPORT: 17 Supp - $400 in Receipts; $ 260 in Expenditures; $207.51 Funds on Hand at the Close of Reporting Period.
30-P: $-0 Receipts; $1,897.50 Expenditures; $5,950.01 Funds on Hand 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.
18:1495.4D(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 the late fees.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Charles Reeves |
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