New Year Brings in Late Campaign Finance Filings

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter Ten Alabama campaigns and twelve Political Action Committees filed campaign finance reports for December 2013 transactions late. While most were only a day or so overdue, some have still not yet filed, and are egregious repeat offenders. Ironically, among the late filers was Jim Perdue, a Secretary of State candidate who would be responsible for such accountability in elections. The Alabama Political Reporter recently reported on Attorney General Luther Strange advising current SOS Jim Bennett that the Attorney General's Office, not the SOS's as Bennett had thought, would assess campaign finance fines. Bennett had submitted a request for an official opinion on the subject of the fines to the AGO's office due to the increasing number of overdue reports. The article can be read here. The penalties that can be assessed for failing to report campaign finances to the State in a timely fashion are as follows: 1st offense: The greater of either $500 or 10% of the amount not reported 2nd offense: $600 or 15% 3rd offense: $1200 or 20% Below are this month's offenders, along with the position for which they are running, and the length of time after the due date they filed, if at all: Individual Campaigns Tijuanna Adetunji, HD78 — Four days Linda Coleman, SD20 — Three days Darius Foster, HD56 — Has not yet filed J.R. Gaines, 15th Judicial Circuit — One day Johnny Hardwick, 15th Judicial Circuit — Has not yet filed Richard Lindsey, HD39 — One day Jim Perdue, Secretary of State — One day Benjamin Treadaway, HD51 — One day Peblin Warren, HD82 — One day Political Action Committees Alabama AFL-CIO PAC — Three days Alabama Dental PAC — Three days Alabamians for Economic Development — Has not yet filed GC PAC — Three days Gulf PAC (USA Retirees PAC) — Four days H.I.S. PAC — Four days JPAC — Three days Move Birmingham Forward PAC — Has not yet filed South Alabama PAC for Higher Education — Four days The Committee for Good Government — Three days Tuscaloosa County Republican Executive Committee — Two days United Transportation Union — Two days Under the Fair Campaign Practices Act, campaign finance reports are typically required monthly, due on the third. Campaigns are required to disclose both contributions and expenditures. The reports are available at the Alabama Secretary of State's website, sos.alabama.gov.