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Aug 7, 2010

Schweikert breaking campaign laws ... again

Latest complaint adds to CD5 Republican's long list of violations

NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 6, 2010

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Democratic Party has filed a complaint against perennial GOP congressional candidate David Schweikert for once again violating Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules on a recent attack piece he sent to voters.

“As county treasurer, David Schweikert mismanaged his office and violated state law. Now, once again, he is mismanaging another of his congressional campaigns by violating federal law,” said Luis Heredia, Arizona Democratic Party executive director. “After violating laws during one failed campaign after another, Schweiker should know better by now. Obviously, learning from the past and following the law aren't his strong suits.”

Schweikert’s recent mail piece attacking one of his primary opponents, Jim Ward, does not meet the FEC’s established rules requiring candidates to display a “clearly readable” disclaimer, disclosing who paid for and authorized a campaign hit piece.

FEC rules state that: “On printed materials, the disclaimer notice must appear within a printed box set apart from the other contents in the communication. The print must be of a sufficient type-size to be clearly readable by the recipient of the communication, and the print must have a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and the printed statement.” [Source: Federal Election Commission, and 11 CFR 110.11(c)(2)(i), (ii) and (iii)]

Schweikert's latest violation adds to his ever-growing list of campaign-finance or disclosure-law violations.

In 2008, The Arizona Democratic Party also filed a complaint with the FEC because Schweikert’s campaign missed a financial filing deadline. [Source: Arizona Capitol Times, July 25, 2008]

Also in 2008, during his second failed congressional run, Schweikert violated Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “stand by your ad” disclaimer requirements that required TV ads to have a clearly identifiable photograph and a readable statement of the candidate sponsoring the ad that his or her authorized committee paid for it. As a result, his admittedly “struggling” campaign was forced to pay a higher rate for broadcast advertising than other federal candidates. [Source: 47 U.S.C. § 315(b)(2)(C), Arizona Capitol Times, Oct. 24, 2008]

In the 1990s, following Schweikert's first unsuccessful run for Congress, he failed to meet FEC deadlines seven times, and he filed his quarterly reports as much as three and a half months late. [Source: Arizonans for Schweikert Summary Page, FEC website]

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