Isle Dems face big fine linked to 2012 election
BRUCE ASATO / MAY 2016
“We have put measures in place to not get into the same situation again.”
Tim Vandeveer
State Democratic Party chairman, on being fined by the FEC
State Democrats are bracing for what is expected to be the largest fine ever imposed on the Hawaii party by the Federal Elections Commission for a series of alleged violations of federal campaign regulations during the 2012 election cycle.
Party officials declined to discuss details of the case because it is ongoing, but a source familiar with the FEC investigation said the alleged violations center on technical bookkeeping and money-handling errors as the party supported Democratic candidates during its coordinated campaign in 2012.
The Hawaii Democrats’ coordinated campaigns are launched during most election cycles to raise and pool money, which is then distributed to support party candidates in targeted races.
Federal fines in the ongoing case are expected to amount to tens of thousands of dollars, and one observer said the total might reach as high as the “low six figures.”
Newly elected Hawaii party Chairman Tim Vandeveer said party officials have been aware for “quite some time” that a large fine was pending, and had been given a “ballpark figure” of how much the fine is likely to be. The FEC has fined the party for missteps in the past, but “not anything nearly this size,” he said.
“It’s something that we should be able to tackle,” Vandeveer said. “It’s significant, but it’s going to be something that we can either break down into monthly installments or figure out a way to pay. But we’ll survive, we’ll get through it and we have put measures in place to not get into the same situation again.”
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The Hawaii party has been fined in the past for failing to comply with federal requirements, including a $22,000 fine that was imposed for errors in the 2002 election cycle.
Party leadership was also reportedly slow to respond to FEC inquiries about problems in the 2012 cycle, and that history could be prompting federal authorities to contemplate larger fines for the alleged violations, according to officials familiar with the FEC inquiry.
Dante Carpenter, who was party chairman in 2012, did not respond to a request for comment about the case.
FEC documents show the agency has fined the party repeatedly over lapses in campaign funding and reporting:
>> The Hawaii party paid a $325 fine in 2014 for filing a required monthly report late in September 2014, and earlier this year agreed to pay $6,375 in another negotiated settlement over deficiencies in party filings in the 2014 election cycle.
Federal officials also reported in December that the party “did not respond, responded inadequately or responded late” to eight of 16 requests for information about the party’s 2014 election cycle filings.
>> The FEC on Jan. 24, 2013, announced the party had failed to file a 12-day pre-general election report in 2012, and imposed a fine of $5,500.
>> The party paid a $5,000 civil penalty for violations during the 2006 election cycle, including failure to file required information and acceptance of a $10,000 excessive contribution.
>> The FEC fined the Hawaii party $22,000 in 2007 after an audit of party finances for the 2002 election cycle concluded the party had accepted $36,000 in contributions in excess of federal contribution limits and had deposited $30,000 in nonallowable funds into its federal campaign account.
That audit of 2002 spending also found the party lacked proper documentation for $155,125 that was mostly spent on radio and television advertising in 2002, according to FEC records. Those problems led to $22,000 in fines, according to FEC records.
32 responses to “Isle Dems face big fine linked to 2012 election”
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Do you think they will get the same amount of time in prison that Dnesh D’soza got for his funding errors?
The entire election in 2012 was a scam against the people of Hawaii by the Democratic party.
PRP committed election fraud right under the noses of the press and of course it was not noticed and John white should have been incarcerated for his part in the WITCH HUNT AGAINST BEN CAYETANO & TOM BERG. Never again will I believe in Hawaii politics after what I saw them pull.
The problem is the culprit does not get punished but the party does? Similar with Wassermam Schultz deal where behind the scenes actions favor the insider! Rigged??
Agree. The Local DNV as well as National are Corrupt !
Funny how some view the PRP anti-Cayetano campaign as simple negative political advertising while the anti-rail zealots see it as criminal “election fraud” worthy of lengthly jail time.
Sadly more than half of voters bought into the media brainwashing by PRP.
There will be no prison time, or any other kind of punishment for their offenses. The left plays by a different set of rules, as everyone clearly knows after watching Hillary get by with massive amounts of corruption and lawlessness. The laws are only for the little people, according to Dems.
The dems sure act like they’s above the law, headed by their leader Hellary.
The way they look at it, “The Fine is worth the Crime”.
A_R—exactly–pay the fine–who cares, they got what they want and will do it again until someone is jailed.
Cheaters.
No worries. With “creative” bookkeeping, I’m sure a tax increase of a couple percent will cover this fine. (As the only party in the state, I’m sure tax money can be funneled to the party).
“. . . at this point, what difference does it make?”
It seems like year after year, they seem to get fined for late filing. Hmmmm, makes one wonder what is else is being cooked besides the ledger book? When you have a one-party system like in China, things like these are bound to happen. They control both the executive branch (gov) and the legislative branch (legis…), they can change ethics rules and laws as they see fit and protect their wrong doings…just look at the sunshine law, it has been revised and butchered to the point that you have to go to court to get information from the government.
No fines for the Republican Party ???
They don’t have any action and money to get into trouble?
WHAT republican party?
Corrupt Democrat Party methods used to suppress opposition lead to the poor leadership that we see today. Ainokea attitude allowed this to happen, will it allow corruption to continue?
You mean great leadership. Just pay the fine, than its legal, no one goes to jail, no one gets hurt. Business as usual in Hawaii.
This is disgraceful.
Publicly financed elections.
Like I heard before, Hawaii’s Democrats are the most corrupt party in the nation. LOCK THEM UP!!! hehe
quick everybody…..switch to the republican party,
then you too will be cancer oops i meant democrat free
It’s an honest mistake, thier candidate breaks any law she wants so why wouldn’t the ” followers” feel the same entitlement?
Carpenter should have responded. It’s probably an honest mistake.
Who is Tim Vandeveer? Is he the guy who had to literally push past Schatz and Hirono to announce Sanders and not Clinton had won the most delegates for Hawaii?
Hawaii state Democratic Party chair.
Keep voting for the Democrats. You deserve everything you get.
bottom line…………
mission accomplished
we won the election no?
our peeps got in
4 more years, 4 more years, 4 more years of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
CHEE HOO
The Dems will win by hook or by crook.
If your going back to 2002 (14 years ago) can you also research the 70s,80s,and 90s. Mahalo.
Not sure why Hawaii’s democrats feel the need to cheat. They have no opposition to cheat against. I wonder how much of the illegal funds got kicked up to Hillary’s DNC. You all remember the DNC. They’re the nice bunch of folks that robbed Bernie and his followers of a chance at the brass ring.
This clearly shows a pattern of unethical and illegal behavior by Hawaii Democrats. They more or less do whatever they want since re-election is virtually guaranteed. Hawaii voters deserve exactly what they’re getting from the Dem’s and their special interest groups.