Your web browser is not supported You're using Internet Explorer, some features might not work. Please switch to another browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for a better experience.


An official website of the United States government Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** ( A locked padlock ) or **https://** means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Federal Election Commission | United States of America Calendar
           Glossary
          Search
              Search


Menu
      Home
      Campaign finance data
        All data
            Raising
            Spending
            Loans and debts
            Filings and reports
            Candidates
            Committees
            Bulk data
            Campaign finance statistics
        Find elections. Search by state or ZIP code
          Look up contributions from specific individuals
      Help for candidates and committees
        All compliance resources
            Guides
            Forms
            Dates and deadlines
            Trainings
        Learn about electronic filing
          Find and contact your committee's analyst
      Legal resources
        All legal resources
            Advisory opinions
            Enforcement
            Statutes
            Legislation
            Regulations
            Court cases
            Policy and other guidance
        Search across all legal resources
          Search guidance documents
      About
        All about the FEC
            News and announcements
            Commission meetings
            Mission and history
            Leadership and structure
            Reports about the FEC
            Careers
            Working with the FEC
            Contact
        Introduction to campaign finance and elections


- Home
- ›
        Legal resources
- ›
        Court cases
- ›
      LaRouche's Committee for a New Bretton Woods v. FEC

LaRouche's Committee for a New Bretton Woods v. FEC 
 Summary
 Summary

  
  
    On March 3, 2006 the U.S. Court of Appeals found that the FEC acted appropriately when it determined that the Lyndon LaRouche’s Committee for a New Bretton Woods must repay $222,034 in federal matching funds received during Mr. LaRouche’s bid for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination.BackgroundAll presidential campaigns must submit to an audit by the FEC if they accept public matching funds during the primary campaign. The LaRouche committee received $1,448,389 in federal matching funds. The majority of these funds were paid to seven vendors that provided fundraising and advertising services for the past three nominations that LaRouche had sought; LaRouche was the vendors’ sole client. The committee received $222,034 in public funds in connection with "mark-up charges” paid to these vendors. The FEC found that the committee had not provided adequate documentation for these mark-up charges and thus they were not qualified campaign expenses.Ruling on motion to dismissOn July 29, 2004, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia granted the Commission's motion to dismiss this case. On April 9, 2004, LaRouche's Committee for a New Bretton Woods (LCNBW) had asked the court to review the FEC's final determination requiring the committee to repay to the U.S. Treasury a portion of the Presidential primary matching funds it received for the 2000 Presidential election. The March 1, 2004, repayment determination resulted from LCNBW's non-qualified campaign expenses and its receipt of funds in excess of its entitlement.On April 27, 2004, the Commission moved to dismiss this case on the ground that the court lacked jurisdiction because LCNBW is also concurrently seeking an administrative reconsideration from the Commission. The court concluded that the appeal was premature because LCNBW had filed with the Commission a timely petition for reconsideration, and the committee may not seek judicial review until the rehearing has concluded.Ruling on repayment determinationThe court confirmed that the committee did not prove to the FEC that these charges were a qualified campaign expense; therefore, the FEC’s order that the committee must repay the charges was not “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law,” as the committee had alleged. Additionally, the court held that the committee had not expressly sought judicial review of LaRouche’s petition for administrative rehearing and, therefore, the court did not have jurisdiction to reconsider that issue.Source:   FEC Record — April 2006; November 2004; September 2004; June 2004; May 2004


This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public. The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.


About
          Careers
          Press
          Contact
   Privacy and security policy
          Plain language
          No FEAR Act
          Strategy, budget and performance
 Open government
          Protected Voices
          USA.gov
          Inspector General
          FOIA
 OpenFEC API
          GitHub repository
          Release notes
          FEC.gov status


Federal Election Commission
 The FEC's Twitter page
            The FEC's YouTube page Sign up for FECMail


Hide glossary Glossary Search terms