| Request that the Board waive a $2,500 and $600 campaign finance late fee assessed against Leon Roche, a successful candidate for Judge, Criminal District Court, Section A in the March 25, 2023 election, whose 2023 and 2024 Supplemental campaign finance disclosure reports were filed 519 and 8 days late, respectively. |
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Ashton M. Jackson, on behalf of Leon Roche, requests a waiver and states the following: The campaign ended with an outstanding loan balance owed to Mr. Roche. He successfully ran that October, and all reports were filed on time. Mr. Roche considered forgiving the loan, effectively making it a contribution, but decided against it once he decided to run again. He lent to his campaign later as well. They have since made internal changes to prevent this issue from happening again. Please suspend or waive the assessed late fee.
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ELECTION: March 25, 2023
TYPES OF REPORT: 2023 and 2024 SUPPL
DAYS LATE: 519 and 8
ASSESSED FEE: $2,500.00 and $800.00
REPORTS DUE: February 15, 2024 and February 18, 2025
REPORTS FILED: July 18, 2025 and February 26, 2025
ACTIVITY REPORT: 2023 Suppl: $-0 Receipts; $-0 Expenditures; $20,124.68 Funds on Hand at the Close of Reporting Period.
2024 Suppl: $-0 in Receipts; $-0 in Expenditures and $20,124.68 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.
LAC 52:1205(C) states if a report is filed more than 10 days late and the amount of activity on the report is less than the amount of the late fee to be assessed, the staff may reduce the late fee to the amount of activity or 10 times the per-day penalty, whichever is greater.
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With respect to SUPP2023, reduce to $1,000 based on Rule 1205C; decline to waive.
With respect to SUPP2024, decline to waive.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Charles Reeves |
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