MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAFF) – Alabama’s Secretary of State announced on Thursday that a Political Action Committee based in Virginia is not in compliance with campaign finance laws.
Sec. John Merrill says the Common Sense America Election Fund has spent over $500,000 on ads in Alabama that negatively impacts one candidate in the race for Governor without being in compliance with Alabama’s election laws. An official with the Secretary of State’s office says it is believed that these ads were targeted against Governor Kay Ivey.
At this time, Merrill says the PAC’s influence cannot be punished due to a legal loophole.
“There are certain things that cannot be addressed as they are not delineated in the code related to the election from a political action committee perspective that’s a federal election approved PAC.”
Read the full letter from Sec. Merrill below detailing the lack of compliance:
In an additional release on Friday, Sec. Merrill’s office listed 125 PACs and Principal Campaign Committees that are not in compliance with state law.
According to the release: The Alabama Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA) governs how Principal Campaign Committees (PCC) and Political Action Committees (PAC) report campaign finance activities, such as contributions and expenditures. Each year, PCCs and PACs are required to file an annual report that outlines all of their unreported campaign finance activity. The annual report must be submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office no later than January 31
“In the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, we work diligently each and every day to make sure that it is easier to vote and harder to cheat,” Secretary Merrill stated, “Maintaining transparency and accountability for campaign committees and political action committees is vital to the elections process in the State of Alabama.”
The full list is included below:
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