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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Federal Election Commission levied a hefty fine this week against U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s campaign committee related to 2018 finance violations.
The commission voted 6-0 to accept the agreement, which calls for a $159,000 fine. Forbes broke the news Friday afternoon, calling it the second-largest fine ever imposed on a senatorial campaign.
Braun is in the middle of a six-way race for the GOP nomination for governor of Indiana.
The agreement said Mike Braun for Indiana failed to correctly disclose loan balances, terms, dates, repayment amounts, and other information for transactions totaling $11.5 million involving three bank loans, 13 lines of credit, and 13 candidate loans.
The activity occurred from July 2017 through December 2018.
“The Committee contends that its former treasurer, Travis Kabrick, was responsible for these reporting errors and that he had access to all relevant information and documents from the Committee to properly report these loans. The Committee further contends that its former Treasurer publicly disclosed information regarding the bank loans, which were legal and proper, but the Treasurer made the errors regarding how they were reported on the Committee’s campaign finance reports. The Committee further contends that the reporting errors were technical in nature,” the settlement said.
Josh Kelley, senior advisor for Braun for Indiana, said the agreement makes clear the former treasurer was responsible for the errors.
“(Kabrick) was provided all relevant information and documents from Mike Braun to properly report the loans, all loans were legal and proper, all the details were made public throughout the campaign, and the reporting errors by Mr. Kabrick were technical in nature. It is clear from the agreement this penalty should be paid for by Mr. Kabrick’s thrid-party compliance team responsible for the reporting errors,” Kelley said.
Thomas Datwyler, the current treasurer for Mike Braun for Indiana, also released a statement saying, “Despite having full access to all necessary information and documents, Mr. Kabrick’s reporting on the Committee’s campaign finance reports was technically flawed, although the underlying bank loans were legally and properly disclosed.
“We are committed to ensuring full compliance and transparency in all future financial reporting.”
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Go ahead and blame the treasurer, but if you promote yourself as a successful businessman, it undermines your credibility if you can’t run a campaign legally. The buck stops with the boss, and if you want to run an entire state and not just a campaign, you better be more accountable.
Yet more Trumpian excuse making. Braun most likely knew what was going on and decided to plead stupid.
Definitely not the guy we need running the state (unless you want to ruin the state)
The guy who “stands with Law Enforcement” but is supporting the guy who has vowed to pardon those who brutalized cops on Jan 6th, is now committing finance violations. Must be following in his mentors footsteps. Indiana can do better than this guy.
The only brutalized victim was an unarmed female veteran who was shot and killed by capitol police.
Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to get the FEC to even pay attention to a campaign? They’re so under-staffed and unfocused…..they’re still following up on complaints about 2016 and 2018 Congressional and Senate campaigns.
For this kind of follow-up; and fine, a campaign has to virtually rape the federal campaign finance law. Which is weak to begin with.