On April 1, 2008, “They Work for Us, Inc.” filed a Form 9 (Electioneering Communications Report) disclosing one payment for a January 14, 2008 production and airing expense for an ad related to Maryland’s 4th Congressional District. The Form 9 shows no receipts. Wynn lost his February 12, 2008 primary. The Post’s Cillizza has all I can find about the group.
Lobbyist and Lobbyist-Employer Audits
If you are looking for examples of lobbyist and lobbyist-employer audits, Washington State has a list of audit results available at the Public Disclosure Commission’s website. Most show substantial compliance or are clean audits.
HLOGA contains a provision referencing audits:
SEC. 213. COMPTROLLER GENERAL AUDIT AND ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) Annual Audits and Reports- The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
`SEC. 26. ANNUAL AUDITS AND REPORTS BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.
`(A) improve the compliance by lobbyists, lobbying firms, and registrants with the requirements of this Act; and`(B) provide the Department of Justice with the resources and authorities needed for the effective enforcement of this Act.
`(1) ANNUAL REPORTS- Not later than April 1 of each year, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Congress a report on the review required by subsection (a) for the preceding calendar year. The report shall include the Comptroller General’s assessment of the matters required to be emphasized by that subsection and any recommendations of the Comptroller General to–
`(2) ASSESSMENT OF COMPLIANCE- The annual report under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of compliance by registrants with the requirements of section 4(b)(3).
`(a) Audit- On an annual basis, the Comptroller General shall audit the extent of compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of this Act by lobbyists, lobbying firms, and registrants through a random sampling of publicly available lobbying registrations and reports filed under this Act during each calendar year.
`(b) Reports to Congress-
`(c) Access to Information- The Comptroller General may, in carrying out this section, request information from and access to any relevant documents from any person registered under paragraph (1) or (2) of section 4(a) and each employee who is listed as a lobbyist under section 4(b)(6) or section 5(b)(2)(C) if the material requested relates to the purposes of this section. The Comptroller General may request such person to submit in writing such information as the Comptroller General may prescribe. The Comptroller General may notify the Congress in writing if a person from whom information has been requested under this subsection refuses to comply with the request within 45 days after the request is made.’.
(b) Initial Audit and Report- The initial audit under subsection (a) of section 26 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (as added by subsection (a) of this section) shall be made with respect to lobbying registrations and reports filed during the first calendar quarter of 2008, and the initial report under subsection (b) of such section shall be filed, with respect to those registrations and reports, not later than 6 months after the end of that calendar quarter.
$5.2 Million Fine for Ohio Group
The Detroit News reports that an Ohio group was fined $5.2 million for campaign finance violations.
The Ohio Elections Commission voted 5-0 Thursday to fine All Children Matter for funneling $870,000 through its Virginia affiliate to its political action committee in Ohio, which the commission said is illegal under Ohio campaign finance law. The money was used to back pro-school-choice Republican candidates in statewide and legislative races in 2006.
The fine will be appealed by All Children Matter. Officials for the Grand Rapids-based group say the commission wrongly interpreted the law, adding that such a restriction on the flow of campaign money is unconstitutional.
Ohio’s Attorney General and Secretrary of State issued a release regarding the decision.