Federal Election Commission 

Summary of Performance and Financial Information 

Fiscal Year 2014 
Federal Election Commission 

Summary of Performance and Financial Information 

Fiscal Year 2014 

Federal Election Commission 

999 E St. NW 

Washington, D.C. 20463 

(202) 694-1000 

1-(800) 424-9530 

www.fec.gov 

Released February 15, 2015 
Table	of	Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis 1 

Mission and Organizational Structure 1 

Mission Statement 1 

Organizational Structure 1 

Performance Goals, Objectives and Results 6 

Strategic Goal 6 

Strategic Objectives 6 

Analysis of FEC Financial Statements and Stewardship 15

Summary of Financial Statement Data 15

Summary of Significant Challenges 18

1
                                                            

Management’s Discussion and Analysis 

Mission and Organizational Structure 

The FEC is an independent regulatory agency responsible for administering, enforcing, 

defending and interpreting the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (FECA or 

the Act).1

 Congress created the FEC to administer, enforce and formulate policy with respect to 

the FECA. The Act reflects Congress’s efforts to ensure that voters are fully informed of the 

sources of financial support for Federal candidates, political party committees, other political 

committees and other political actors. Public confidence in the political process depends not 

only on laws and regulations to ensure transparency, but also on the knowledge that those who 

disregard the campaign finance law will face consequences. 

Under the Act, all Federal political committees, including the committees of Presidential, 

Senate and House candidates, must file reports of receipts and disbursements. The FEC makes 

disclosure reports, and the data contained in them, available to the public through the 

Commission’s Internet-based public disclosure system on the Commission’s website, as well 

as in a public records office at the Commission's Washington, D.C. headquarters. The FEC 

also has exclusive responsibility for civil enforcement of the Act, and has litigating authority 

independent of the Department of Justice in U.S. district court and the courts of appeals. 

Additionally, the Commission promulgates regulations implementing the Act and issues 

advisory opinions responding to inquiries regarding interpretation and application of the Act 

and the Commission’s regulations. 

Additionally, the Commission is responsible for administering the Federal public funding 

programs for Presidential campaigns. This responsibility includes certifying and auditing all 

participating candidates and committees and enforcing the public funding laws. 

Mission Statement 

The FEC’s mission is to protect the integrity of the Federal campaign finance process by 

providing transparency and fairly enforcing and administering Federal campaign finance laws. 

Organizational Structure 

To accomplish its legislative mandate, the FEC is directed by six Commissioners, who are 

appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. By law, no more than 

1

1

   The Commission’s primary responsibilities pertain to the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, Public Law 92-

225, 86 Stat. 3 (1972) as amended (codified at 52 U.S.C. §§ 30101-30145) (formerly at 2 U.S.C. §§ 431-55) (the Act or the 

FECA). The Commission’s responsibilities for the Federal public funding programs are contained in the Presidential 

Election Campaign Fund Act, Public Law 92-178, 85 Stat. 562 (1971) (codified at 26 U.S.C. §§ 9001-13) and the 

Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account Act, Public Law 93-443, 88 Stat. 1297 (1974) (codified at 26 U.S.C. §§ 

9031-42). 
three Commissioners can be members of the same political party. Each member serves a sixyear term, and two seats are subject to appointment every two years. The Chairmanship of the 

Commission rotates among the members, with no member serving as Chair more than once 

during his or her term. The Commissioners are responsible for administering and enforcing the 

FECA and meet regularly to formulate policy and to vote on significant legal and 

administrative matters. The Act requires the affirmative vote of four members of the 

Commission to approve official actions, thus requiring bipartisan decision-making. The FEC 

has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and does not have any regional offices. 

Figure 1: FEC Organizational Chart 

As noted in Figure 1, the offices of the Staff Director, General Counsel, Chief Information 

Officer and Chief Financial Officer support the agency in accomplishing its mission. The 

Office of the Inspector General, established within the FEC in 1989 under the 1988 

amendments to the Inspector General Act, is independent and reports both to the 

Commissioners and to Congress. The specific roles and responsibilities of each office are 

described in greater detail below. 

・ Office of the Staff Director (OSD) 

The Office of the Staff Director consists of four offices: 1) Management and Administration; 

2) Compliance; 3) Communications; and 4) Equal Employment Opportunity. The Office of 

Management and Administration is responsible for the FEC’s strategic planning and 

performance and works with the Commission to ensure the agency’s mission is met 

2
economically and effectively. In addition, this office houses the Commission Secretary 

functions, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and the Administrative Services Division 

(ASD). The primary responsibilities of the Office of Compliance are review of campaign 

finance reports, audits, administrative fines and alternative dispute resolution. The Office of 

Communications includes four divisions charged with receiving campaign finance reports and 

making this information available to the public, encouraging voluntary compliance with the 

Act through educational outreach and ensuring effective communication with Congress, 

executive branch agencies and the media. The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Office 

administers and ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies and guidance 

that prohibit discrimination in the Federal workplace based on race, color, national origin, 

religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy, genetic information or retaliation. The EEO Officer 

reports to the Staff Director on administrative issues, but has direct reporting authority on all 

EEO matters. See 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1614.102(b)(4). 

・ Office of General Counsel 

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) consists of five organizational units: (1) the Deputy 

General Counsel—Administration; (2) the Deputy General Counsel—Law; (3) the Policy 

Division; (4) the Enforcement Division; and (5) the Litigation Division. The Deputy General 

Counsel—Administration directly supervises the Administrative Law Team, the Office of 

Complaints Examination and Legal Administration, the Law Library and all OGC 

administrative functions. The Deputy General Counsel—Law has the primary responsibility 

for assisting the General Counsel in all of the substantive aspects of the General Counsel’s 

duties and shares in the management of all phases of OGC programs, as well as directly 

supervises the Compliance Advice Team and the agency’s ethics program. The Policy 

Division drafts for Commission consideration advisory opinions and regulations interpreting 

the Federal campaign finance law. The Enforcement Division recommends to the Commission 

appropriate action to take with respect to administrative complaints and apparent violations of 

the Act. Where authorized, the Enforcement Division investigates alleged violations and 

negotiates conciliation agreements, which may include civil penalties and other remedies. If an 

enforcement matter does not resolve through conciliation during the administrative process, 

the Commission may authorize suit in district court, at which point the matter is transferred to 

the Litigation Division. The Litigation Division represents the Commission before the Federal 

district courts and courts of appeals in all civil litigation involving the campaign finance 

statutes. This Division assists the Department of Justice’s Office of the Solicitor General when 

the Commission’s FECA cases are before the Supreme Court. 

・ Office of the Chief Information Officer 

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) meets the increasing public interest in and 

demand for the agency’s disclosure information. In addition, fast changing information 

3
technology provides substantial opportunities for efficiency and effectiveness. The OCIO is 

working to upgrade the FEC’s systems to meet internal and external demands and ensure that 

information is available to all of the Commission’s stakeholders in a rapid and user-friendly 

fashion. 

・ Office of the Chief Financial Officer 

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) is responsible for complying with all 

financial management laws and standards, and all aspects of budget formulation, budget 

execution and procurement. 

Sources of Funds 

On an annual basis, the FEC receives a single appropriation for Salaries and Expenses. In FY 

2014, the FEC’s authorized funding level included an appropriation of $65,791,000. During FY 

2014 the FEC additionally received $42,000 in Personnel Reimbursable Authority for services 

provided to other Federal agencies. 

The FEC also has the authority to collect fees from attendees of agency-sponsored educational 

conferences. The Commission may use those fees to defray the costs of conducting those 

conferences. In an effort to keep the fees as low as possible, the agency has not fully exercised 

that authority. Rather, the Commission sets its registration fees at a level that covers only the 

costs incurred by the agency’s conference-management contractor, including meeting room 

rental and conference meals and compensation. All other conference-related expenses, such as 

materials and staff travel, are paid using appropriated funds. Registration fees for FY 2014 were 

$130,345. 

Figure 2 shows the agency’s appropriations and obligations from FY 2010 to 2014. 

4
   

Figure 2: Summary of Funding (in millions of dollars) 

Personnel vs. Non-Personnel Costs 

Figure 3 represents the Commission’s FY 2014 obligations by personnel and non-personnel 

costs. Personnel costs, which are primarily comprised of salaries and employee benefits, 

accounted for 69 percent of the FEC’s costs. The remaining 31 percent of the Commission’s 

costs was spent on non-personnel items, such as infrastructure and support, software and 

hardware, office rent, building security and other related costs. 

68.6% Personnel

9.5%

Facilities

15.9% OCIO

Initiatives

6.0% Other

Figure 3: Fiscal Year 2014 by Major Category 

5
Performance Goals, Objectives and Results 

This section provides a summary of the results of the FEC’s key performance objectives, which 

are discussed in greater detail in the FEC’s FY 2014 APR. This report will be part of the FEC’s 

FY 2016 Congressional Budget Justification, which will be available at 

http://www.fec.gov/pages/budget/budget.shtml in February 2015. 

Strategic Goal 

The strategic goal of the Federal Election Commission is to fairly, efficiently and effectively 

administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act, promote compliance and engage and 

inform the public about campaign finance data and rules, while maintaining a workforce that 

delivers results. 

Strategic Objectives 

The Act reflects a belief that democracy works best when voters can make informed decisions in 

the political process—decisions based in part on knowing the sources of financial support for 

Federal candidates, political party committees, other political committees and other political 

actors. As a result, the FEC’s first strategic objective is to inform the public about how Federal 

campaigns and committees are financed. Public confidence in the political process also depends 

on the knowledge that participants in Federal elections follow clear and well-defined rules and 

face real consequences for non-compliance. Thus, the FEC’s second strategic objective focuses 

on the Commission’s efforts to promote voluntary compliance through educational outreach and 

to enforce campaign finance laws effectively and fairly. The third strategic objective is to 

interpret the FECA and related statutes, providing timely guidance to the public regarding the 

requirements of the law. The Commission also understands that organizational performance is 

driven by employee performance and that the agency cannot successfully achieve its mission 

without a high-performing workforce that understands expectations and delivers results. The 

FEC’s fourth strategic objective is to foster a culture of high performance in order to ensure that 

the agency delivers its mission efficiently and effectively. 

Objective 1: Engage and Inform the Public about Campaign Finance Data 

The FEC provides the public with campaign finance disclosure information necessary to make 

educated, informed decisions in the political process based on data concerning the sources and 

amounts of funds used to finance Federal elections. In order to ensure that this data is quickly 

available and fully accessible to the public, the agency is committed to ensuring that information 

is easy to view, sort and download from the FEC website and that FEC staff have the tools and 

knowledge to help the public find and understand the campaign finance information relevant to 

6
                                                            

 

 

their questions and needs. 

The FEC’s e-filing system acts as the point of entry for submission of electronically filed 

campaign finance reports, providing faster access to reports and streamlining operations. 

Specifically, the system provides for public disclosure of electronically filed reports, via the FEC 

website, within minutes of being filed. The Commission’s Public Disclosure Division ensures 

reports filed on paper are available for public inspection within 48 hours of receipt, both 

electronically on the website and at the FEC’s offices in Washington, D.C.2 The FEC is 

committed to providing timely and transparent campaign finance disclosure to the public and 

delivering data in accessible and easy-to-use formats. The FEC has launched an initiative to 

develop an automated data capture process to convert paper-filed reports into structured, 

machine-readable data. Automating this labor-intensive process will decrease data processing 

time, increase the accuracy of data and reduce the overall costs of capturing data from paper 

forms. 

To make campaign finance data more accessible to the public, the Commission provides several 

interactive, graphic presentations, including maps and charts, of complex data. In addition to the 

graphic presentations, the Commission provides campaign finance data through the Candidate 

and Committee Viewer and the Data Catalog. During Presidential election years, users can 

access through the Presidential Map the amount of funds raised on a state-by-state basis, 

contributions, cash-on-hand and the distribution of contributions by amount with a simple click 

at www.fec.gov. Users can also access lists of contributors by name, city and amounts of 

contributions within the first three digits of any zip code. Contribution and disbursement data is 

updated within one day of the FEC’s receipt of electronically filed disclosure reports. The 

Candidate and Committee Viewer, the House and Senate Map and the Data Catalog are updated 

nightly with all data that has been entered into the Commission's database. Generally, summary 

financial data is available the day following receipt of the report. Transactions—detailed 

information about receipts and disbursements—are processed on a rolling basis and added to the 

Commission's database nightly. The agency also provides a Compliance Map to assist members 

of the public in their efforts to comply with campaign finance law. The Compliance Map lists all 

reporting dates and other significant information tied to each state’s election calendar, such as 

the time periods when special requirements for electioneering communications and Federal 

election activity apply. Like the interactive Disclosure Map of contribution information, the 

Compliance Map provides quick access to information on a state-by-state basis in an easy-to-use 

format. 

The Commission’s mandatory electronic filing (“e-filing”) rules require any committee that receives contributions or 

makes expenditures in excess of $50,000 in a calendar year, or that has reason to expect to do so, to submit its reports 

electronically. Under the Act, these mandatory e-filing provisions apply to any political committee or other person required to file 

reports, statements or designations with the FEC, except for Senate candidate committees (and certain other persons who support 

Senate candidates only). 

7

2 
In June 2014, the FEC launched an extensive effort to redesign the FEC website to improve the 

delivery of campaign finance data to the public. In partnership with 18F, a newly formed 

organization within the General Services Administration (GSA), the FEC is developing an agile, 

navigable, user-based online platform to deliver campaign finance information to its diverse base 

of users. Once complete, the redesigned FEC website will better meet the needs of an audience 

that spans from individual citizens seeking information about candidates on the ballot in their 

state to journalists and researchers who specialize in campaign finance issues to filers and other 

political participants seeking legal guidance and compliance information. This effort will ensure 

that the FEC provides full and meaningful campaign finance data and information in a manner 

that meets the public’s increasing expectations for data customization and ease of use. 

In addition, as a milestone, the FEC is developing internal tools to help improve the service 

provided by staff members who give daily guidance to the public and the press. In order to better 

guide the public through the FEC’s vast quantity of campaign finance information and promote 

voluntary compliance with the campaign finance law, FEC staff is developing a web-based 

knowledge management tool for staff use. Like many Federal agencies, the FEC faces challenges 

in preserving staff knowledge lost through turnover and attrition, as well as finding meaningful 

ways to share this information with staff to achieve the agency’s mission efficiently and 

effectively. This knowledge management tool will capture and organize staff knowledge in a 

way that is accessible and useful and will enable FEC staff to provide the public with quick, 

comprehensive and consistent responses. During FY 2014, FEC staff completed much of the 

collection and categorization of information and procedures across public-facing offices. 

The level of availability and accessibility of campaign finance data serves as a measurement of 

success in improving the public’s access to information about how campaign funds are raised 

and spent. This key indicator represents a new area of performance reporting for the agency. The 

FEC collected baseline performance data during FY 2014 in order to establish an appropriate 

target for FYs 2015 and 2016, as detailed below. 

Performance Goal 1-1: Improve the public’s access to information about how campaign funds 

are raised and spent. 

Key Indicator: Enhanced availability of campaign finance data as 

measured by increased capabilities to retrieve and analyze data. 

FY 2010 

Actual 

FY 2011 

Actual 

FY 2012 

Actual 

FY 2013 

Actual 

FY 2014 

Target 

FY 2014 

Actual 

FY 2015 

Target 

FY 2016 

Target 

N/A N/A N/A N/A Set 

baseline 

75% 75% 75% 

8
Objective 2: Promote Compliance with the FECA and Related Statutes 

Helping the public understand its obligations under the Act is an essential component of 

voluntary compliance. The FEC places a significant emphasis on encouraging compliance 

through its Information Division, Reports Analysis Division (RAD), Press Office and Office of 

Congressional, Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. The FEC measures its progress in 

meeting this Objective through two performance measures: one that measures the agency’s 

efforts to encourage voluntary compliance through educational outreach and information and 

another that measures the FEC’s efforts to seek adherence to FECA requirements through fair, 

effective and timely enforcement and compliance programs. Progress against these measures is 

detailed in the charts below. 

Encourage voluntary compliance with FECA requirements through educational outreach and 

information. 

The FEC’s education and outreach programs provide information necessary for compliance with 

the campaign finance law and give the public the context necessary to interpret the campaign 

finance data filers disclose. The FEC maintains a toll-free line and public email accounts to 

respond to inquiries regarding the campaign finance law and data. Additionally, Campaign 

Finance Analysts in RAD provide assistance with completing and filing disclosure reports. The 

FEC also operates Press and Congressional Affairs offices. 

One way the Commission encourages voluntary compliance is by hosting conferences across the 

country, where Commissioners and staff explain how the Act applies to candidates, parties and 

political action committees. These conferences address recent changes in the law and focus on 

fundraising, methods of candidate support and reporting regulations. 

The FEC also devotes considerable resources to ensuring that staff can provide distance learning 

opportunities to the public. The Commission’s website is one of the most important sources of 

instantly accessible information about the Act, Commission regulations and Commission 

proceedings. In addition to viewing campaign finance data, anyone with Internet access can use 

the website to track Commission rulemakings, search advisory opinions, audits and closed 

enforcement matters, view campaign finance data and find reporting dates. The Commission 

places a high emphasis on providing educational materials about the campaign finance law and 

its requirements. Toward this end, the FEC has moved its focus away from the printing and 

manual distribution of its educational materials and instead looked for ways to leverage available 

technologies to create and disseminate dynamic and up-to-date educational materials through the 

website. While the Commission continues to make available printed copies of its educational 

brochures and publications, transitioning to primarily web-based media has already allowed the 

agency to reduce significantly its printing and mailing costs and use of resources while at the 

9
 

same time encouraging new and expanded ways of communicating with the public via the 

website. 

As part of this broad effort to improve its Internet communications and better serve the 

educational needs of the public, the Commission has added an E-Learning section to its 

Educational Outreach web page and launched its own YouTube channel, which can be found at 

http://www.youtube.com/FECTube. The E-Learning page offers instructional videos and 

tutorials, as well as interactive presentations that enable users to obtain guidance tailored to their 

specific activities. The curriculum currently includes a variety of presentations about the 

Commission and the campaign finance law. 

The agency’s educational outreach program has been significantly enhanced with the addition of 

FEC Connect, a new online training service that enables political committees and other groups to 

schedule live, interactive online training sessions with FEC staff. FEC Connect, launched in May 

2014, allows the FEC to provide tailored, distance learning presentations and training to the 

public in a manner that will significantly increase the availability of FEC staff to serve the 

public. FEC Connect also offers an efficient and effective way for alternative dispute resolution 

and other enforcement respondents to satisfy the terms of their agreements with the agency. The 

FEC has historically measured the success of its educational outreach programs based on 

satisfaction surveys of conference attendees. Beginning in FY 2014, the agency initiated a 

program to measure user satisfaction across all aspects of its outreach program by developing 

methods for effectively and consistently surveying user satisfaction with publications, webinars 

and E-Learning presentations. This program will be implemented during FY 2015 to help the 

FEC better understand and meet the public’s expectations and needs regarding the agency’s 

educational outreach efforts. 

10
 

Performance Goal 2-1: Encourage voluntary compliance with FECA requirements through 

educational outreach and information. 

Key Indicator: Percent of educational outreach programs (webinars, 

seminars, publications and E-Learning presentations) and events that 

achieve targeted satisfaction rating on user surveys. 

FY 2010 

Actual 

FY 2011 

Actual 

FY 2012 

Actual 

FY 2013 

Actual 

FY 2014 

Target 

FY 2014 

Actual 

FY 2015 

Target 

FY 2016 

Target 

N/A N/A N/A N/A Develop 

methods for 

surveying 

user 

satisfaction 

with 

webinars, 

publications 

and ELearning 

presentations. 

N/A 4.0 or 

higher on 

a 5.0 

scale 

4.0 or 

higher on 

a 5.0 

scale 

Seek adherence to FECA requirements through fair, effective and timely enforcement and 

compliance programs. 

The FEC has also set strategies for ensuring that its enforcement and compliance programs are 

fair, effective and timely. The Commission’s statutory obligation is to administer, interpret and 

enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act, which serves the compelling governmental interest 

in deterring corruption and the appearance of corruption in financing elections. In doing so, the 

Commission remains mindful of the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and 

association, and the practical implication of its actions on the political process. 

The FEC has exclusive jurisdiction over civil enforcement of Federal campaign finance laws and 

consults with the U.S. Department of Justice, as appropriate, on matters involving both civil and 

criminal enforcement of the Act. Commission enforcement actions, which are handled primarily 

by the Office of General Counsel, originate from a number of sources, including external 

complaints, referrals from other government agencies and matters generated by information 

ascertained by the Commission in the normal course of carrying out its supervisory 

responsibilities. 

To augment OGC’s traditional enforcement role, the Office of Compliance manages several 

programs that seek to remedy alleged violations of the Act and encourage voluntary compliance. 

These programs include: 1) the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, 2) the Administrative 

Fine Program and 3) the Audit Program. The Commission’s Alternative Dispute Resolution 

Program is designed to resolve matters more swiftly by encouraging the settlement of less11
complex enforcement matters with a streamlined process that focuses on remedial measures for 

candidates and political committees, such as training, internal audits and hiring compliance staff. 

Violations involving the late submission of, or failure to file, disclosure reports are subject to the 

Administrative Fine Program. This Program is administered by RAD and the Office of 

Administrative Review (OAR), which assess monetary penalties and handle challenges to the 

penalty assessments. Finally, the Audit Program performs “for cause” audits under the FECA in 

those cases where political committees have failed to meet the threshold requirements for 

demonstrating substantial compliance with the Act and conducts mandatory audits under the 

public funding statutes. Threshold requirements approved by the Commission and used by RAD 

and the Audit Division are public, subject to limited redactions. 

If the Commission cannot settle or conciliate a matter involving an alleged violation of the Act, 

the Commission may initiate civil litigation by filing and prosecuting a civil action in Federal 

district court to address the alleged violation. 

Performance Goal 2-2: Seek adherence to FECA requirements through fair, effective and 

timely enforcement and compliance programs. 

Key Indicator: Of the enforcement matters resolved during the fiscal year,

the percentage that was resolved within 15 months of the date of receipt. 

FY 2010

Actual 

FY 2011

Actual 

FY 2012

Actual

FY 2013

Actual

FY 2014

Target

FY 2014

Actual

FY 2015

Target

FY 2016

Target

75% 89% 70% 72% 75% by 

FY 2015 

28% 75% 75% 

 

 

Objective 3: Interpret the FECA and Related Statutes 

The Commission responds to questions from the public about how the Act applies to specific 

situations by issuing advisory opinions (AO). In addition, Commission initiatives, Congressional 

action, judicial decisions, petitions for rulemaking or other changes in campaign finance law may 

necessitate that the Commission update or adopt new regulations. Consequently, the FEC 

undertakes rulemakings either to write new Commission regulations or revise existing 

regulations. The FEC has set as a performance goal to provide timely legal guidance to the 

public. 

12
 

                                                            

 

Regulations 

The Policy Division of OGC drafts Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Commission 

consideration. NPRMs provide an opportunity for members of the public to review proposed 

regulations, submit written comments to the Commission and testify at public hearings, which 

are conducted at the FEC, when appropriate. The Commission considers the comments and 

testimony and deliberates publicly regarding the adoption of the final regulations and the 

corresponding Explanations and Justifications, which provide the rationale and basis for the new 

or revised regulations. 

Advisory Opinions 

Advisory opinions are official Commission responses to questions regarding the application of 

Federal campaign finance law to specific factual situations. The Act generally provides the 

Commission with 60 days to respond to an AO request. For AO requests from candidates in the 

two months leading up to an election, the Act provides the Commission with 20 days to respond 

to the request. On its own initiative, the Commission also makes available an expedited process 

for handling certain time-sensitive requests that are not otherwise entitled to expedited 

processing under the Act. The Commission strives to issue these advisory opinions in 30 days. 

Defending Challenges to the Act 

The Commission represents itself in most litigation before the Federal district courts and courts 

of appeals and before the Supreme Court with respect to cases involving publicly financed 

Presidential candidates. It also has primary responsibility for defending the Act and Commission 

regulations against court challenges. In addition, the FECA authorizes the Commission to 

institute civil actions to enforce the FECA. 

Performance Goal 3-1: Provide timely legal guidance to the public.3 

Key Indicator: Percent of legal guidance provided within statutory and 

court-ordered deadlines. 

FY 2010 

Actual 

FY 2011 

Actual 

FY 2012 

Actual 

FY 2013 

Actual 

FY 2014 

Target 

FY 2014 

Actual 

FY 2015 

Target 

FY 2016 

Target 

N/A N/A N/A N/A 100% 100% 100% 100% 

The Commission obtained extensions to consider ten advisory opinion requests in FY 2014; four of those extensions 

were attributable to the Federal government shutdown during October 2013. The Commission did not have any rulemakings 

during FY 2014 with statutory or court-ordered deadlines. 

13

3 
Objective 4: Foster a Culture of High Performance 

One of the management objectives from the FEC’s Strategic Plan, FY 2014-2019, Foster a 

Culture of High Performance, cuts across the organization and reflects the agency’s strategic 

priorities for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its workforce and management 

processes. The Commission understands that the success of its programs depends upon the skills 

and commitment of its staff. The FEC remains committed to increased engagement between 

leaders and employees. A component of the FEC’s engagement is to build an effective and 

collaborative relationship with the National Treasury Employee Union (NTEU), which is the 

exclusive representative of bargaining unit employees. In accordance with Executive Order 

13522, Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services, the 

FEC and the NTEU have established the FEC Labor-Management Forum (Forum). The Forum is 

intended to promote improvements in overall FEC efficiency and effectiveness, improve 

employee satisfaction, assist in the development of cooperative and productive labormanagement relations and encourage the involvement of employees in workplace issues through 

their union representatives. During FY 2014, the Forum launched a multi-year program to assess 

and improve employee workplace engagement and satisfaction based, in part, on the results of 

OPM’s annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. 

The FEC is also participating in and contributing to the government-wide Records Management 

initiative. In compliance with the Federal Records Act, the FEC is updating its records 

management program. The program will increase efficiency and improve performance by 

eliminating paper and using electronic recordkeeping to the fullest extent possible. 

The FEC’s primary measure of success in developing and maintaining a result-driven workforce 

is at the program level: a workforce that delivers results will meet the internal performance 

targets set by the Commission. This performance goal represents a new area of performance 

measurement for the agency. The Commission set a baseline for this measure during FY 2014 in 

order to set appropriate targets for future years. 

Performance Goal 4-1: Foster a workforce that delivers results. 

Key Indicator: Commission-required quarterly updates meet targeted 

performance goals. 

FY 2010 

Actual 

FY 2011 

Actual 

FY 2012 

Actual 

FY 2013 

Actual 

FY 2014 

Target 

FY 2014 

Actual 

FY 2015 

Target 

FY 2016 

Target 

N/A N/A N/A N/A Set 

baseline 

in FY 

2014 

73% 60% 65% 

14
Analysis of FEC Financial Statements and Stewardship 

The FEC’s FY 2014 financial statements and notes are presented in the required format in 

accordance with OMB Circular A-136, as revised, Financial Reporting Requirements. The FEC’s 

current-year financial statements and notes are presented in a comparative format in Section II of 

the Agency Financial Report (AFR). The report is available online at 

http://www.fec.gov/pages/budget/fy2014/FY2014_AFR.pdf. 

The following table summarizes the significant changes in the FEC’s financial position during 

FY 2014: 

Net Financial 

Condition FY 2014 FY 2013 Increase (Decrease) 

% 

Change 

Assets $ 16,181,803 $ 14,030,297 $ 2,151,506 15% 

Liabilities $ 6,062,609 $ 5,851,011 $ 211,598 4% 

Net Position $ 10,119,194 $ 8,179,286 $ 1,939,908 24% 

Net Cost $ 65,789,981 $ 65,424,803 $ 365,179 1% 

Budgetary Resources $ 69,492,382 $ 66,897,140 $ 2,595,242 4% 

Custodial Revenue $ 549,587 $ 1,443,141 $ (893,554) -62% 

Summary of Financial Statement Data 

Balance Sheet 

The Balance Sheet presents the total amounts available for use by the FEC (assets) against the 

amounts owed (liabilities) and amounts that comprise the difference (Net Position). As a small 

independent agency, all of the FEC’s assets consist of Fund Balance with Treasury (FBWT), 

Property and Equipment (P&E) and Accounts Receivable. Fund Balance with Treasury (e.g., 

cash) is available through the Department of Treasury accounts, from which the FEC is 

authorized to make expenditures (i.e., obligations) and payments. FBWT increased by 

approximately $1.76 million, or 17 percent, from the prior year. This increase is primarily 

attributed to an increase in the FY 2014 appropriation, when compared to the previous year. 

Accounts Receivable represent amounts due from the public for fines and penalties assessed by 

the FEC and referred to Treasury for collection, as deemed appropriate. In compliance with the 

Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA), the OCFO takes into consideration the most 

15
appropriate approach to debt management. These amounts are not available for FEC operations 

and are sent to the U.S. Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. Net accounts receivable increased by 

approximately $91 thousand from FY 2013 to $152 thousand in FY 2014. 

Property and equipment consists of software, general-purpose equipment used by the agency and 

software development. In FY 2014, the FEC continued to evaluate existing systems and retired 

outdated software systems, and initiated a series of upgrades to existing systems to support 

regulated reporting requirements. Net property and equipment increased by $297 thousand from 

FY 2013 to $3.9 million. Total liabilities increased by approximately four percent, primarily 

resulting from an increase in accrued payroll and benefits liability due to timing differences 

associated with pay period end dates, which adds one more day to the accrual. 

Statement of Net Cost 

The Statement of Net Cost presents the annual cost of operating the FEC program. Gross costs 

are used to arrive at the total net cost of operations. The FEC’s total gross costs in administering 

the FECA did not experience significant fluctuation from FY 2013, as there was a 1 percent 

change from FY 2013 to FY 2014. 

Statement of Changes in Net Position 

The Statement of Changes in Net Position presents in greater detail the net position section of the 

Balance Sheet, including Cumulative Results of Operations and Unexpended Appropriations. 

This statement identifies the activity that caused the net position to change during the reporting 

period. Total Net Position increased by 24 percent, or approximately $1.9 million. This increase 

is primarily attributed to an increase in the FY 2014 appropriation, when compared to the 

previous year. 

Statement of Budgetary Resources 

The Statement of Budgetary Resources provides information on the source and status of 

budgetary resources made available to the FEC during the reporting period. It presents the 

relationship between budget authority and budget outlays, as well as the reconciliation of 

obligations to total outlays. Total Budgetary Resources and Status of Budgetary Resources 

increased by approximately $2.6 million, or four percent, from FY 2013. This included a four 

percent increase in obligations incurred, which is primarily attributed to an increase in the FY 

2014 appropriation, when compared to the previous year. 

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Statement of Custodial Activity 

The Statement of Custodial Activity (SCA) represents an accounting of revenue and funds 

collected by the FEC that are owed to the U.S. Treasury’s general fund. These monies are not 

available for the FEC’s use. Collection and revenue activity primarily result from enforcement 

actions that come before the Commission during the fiscal year. Revenue and collections on the 

SCA consist of collections on new assessments, prior year(s) receivables and Miscellaneous 

Receipts. In FY 2014, the total custodial revenue and collections decreased by approximately 

$894 thousand or 62 percent from FY 2013. 

The chart below displays the assessment history for the past five years. 

0.86

0.62

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

Millions of Dollars ($)

FINES ASSESSED BY FISCAL YEAR

Figure 4: Fines Assessed, by Fiscal Year (in millions of dollars) 

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Summary of Significant Challenges 

The Inspector General’s report in Section III of the Agency Financial Report identifies three 

areas specific to management and performance challenges: 1) Information Technology Security, 

2) Governance Framework and 3) Human Capital Management / Human Resources Operations. 

The agency continues to maintain the highest level of commitment to information technology 

security and has taken significant steps to implement a robust program that can meet the IT 

security threats currently facing Federal agencies. The FEC also continues to make significant 

progress in its human capital management and operations. The FEC’s full response to the 

Inspector General’s assessment of its performance in these areas appears in Section III of the 

Agency Financial Report, released on November 17, 2014. The report is available online at 

http://www.fec.gov/pages/budget/fy2014/FY2014_AFR.pdf. 

An online version of this Summary of Performance and Financial Information may be found 

online at http://www.fec.gov/pages/budget/budget.shtml. 

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