State election officials are fining the Democratic Party of Oregon a $15,000 late filing fee after the party changed the donor of a hefty campaign check.
The state also plans to monitor the Democratic Party of Oregon’s financial disclosures to ensure campaign finance laws are being followed in the future. The secretary of state’s office initially proposed fining the party $35,000 after a three-month investigation but lowered the amount.
“While the financial penalties are significant, the most important part of the settlement are the numerous oversight requirements the DPO has agreed to, including spot checks by Elections Division investigators, to ensure compliance with all state campaign finance laws,” Cheryl Myers, acting secretary of state said in a statement. “In too many cases, people who violate campaign finance laws pay a fine and move on.”
But if for some reason the DPO doesn’t comply with the oversight requirements reached in the settlement, they could be on the hook to pay a larger fine up to $50,000.
The state was prompted to take a closer look at $500,000…