BigBadBrian
10-28-2005, 05:10 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Cynthia McKinney must pay a $33,000 fine and reimburse as much as $72,000 to political donors after accepting excessive contributions in the 2002 election, the Federal Election Commission said Friday.
The fine was part of a conciliation agreement between the Georgia Democrat and the FEC. The amount will come out of her campaign coffers.
The allegations stem from McKinney’s 2002 re-election campaign, which she lost in the Democratic primary to Denise Majette. McKinney was out of Congress for two years before winning the seat back in 2004 when Majette left to run for Senate.
McKinney’s spokeswoman, Richard Searcy, said he hadn’t seen the report late Friday and had no immediate comment.
The eight-page agreement, signed by McKinney’s campaign treasurer, Joan Christian, says there were $106,425 in excessive contributions in 2002 — $42,950 for the primary and $63,475 for the general.
Because McKinney lost the primary election, all money collected for the general was subject for reimbursement.
The agreement says McKinney’s campaign reimbursed $34,199 of the excessive contributions but still must pay $72,226. An FEC spokeswoman wasn’t sure how much — if any — of that had already been paid since the agreement was signed Aug. 31.
The fine was part of a conciliation agreement between the Georgia Democrat and the FEC. The amount will come out of her campaign coffers.
The allegations stem from McKinney’s 2002 re-election campaign, which she lost in the Democratic primary to Denise Majette. McKinney was out of Congress for two years before winning the seat back in 2004 when Majette left to run for Senate.
McKinney’s spokeswoman, Richard Searcy, said he hadn’t seen the report late Friday and had no immediate comment.
The eight-page agreement, signed by McKinney’s campaign treasurer, Joan Christian, says there were $106,425 in excessive contributions in 2002 — $42,950 for the primary and $63,475 for the general.
Because McKinney lost the primary election, all money collected for the general was subject for reimbursement.
The agreement says McKinney’s campaign reimbursed $34,199 of the excessive contributions but still must pay $72,226. An FEC spokeswoman wasn’t sure how much — if any — of that had already been paid since the agreement was signed Aug. 31.