Give Monies Back as FEC Requires!
The following release just came through to us from the Democratic Party of Orange County:
The Democratic Party of Orange County has joined in the call for the Republican Party of Orange County to return monies they may have received illegally from the State GOP.
“We just learned that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has ordered the Orange County Republican Party to return monies given to them by their state party,” said Frank Barbaro, Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County.  “Voters should be appalled that the GOP won’t follow the law.”
According to news reports, GOP officials in Sacramento, Orange, Stanislaus and San Diego counties have received letters from the Federal Election Commission questioning the transfer of money from the state GOP for voter registration for periods ranging from February through May. Political parties essentially have two bank accounts to fund their operations-one federal, one state. When a federal election draws near, only the federal account can be used for activities such as registering voters and encouraging them to get to the polls. The commission letters ask the local officials to return the money to the California Republican Party or amend their reports. Campaign finance reports filed with the state show the CRP has given the four county parties nearly $750,000 this year.
Barbaro notes this isn’t the first time the local GOP hasn’t followed the law concerning voting registration, pointing out that GOP operatives registered voters illegally as Republican at local community colleges in the past.