On October 25, 2017, the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) fined a Fairfield Township (Cumberland County) Committeeman $275 and reprimanded him for filing a campaign financing statement 609 days late. A similar complaint against another Fairfield Committeeman is pending.
According to state law, candidates for public office are supposed to file various election-cycle reports that set forth contributions received and expenditures made. Relieved from these filing responsibilities are candidates who run small campaigns in which less than $5,100 is spent and no contributions in cash or more than $300 from a single source are received. Candidates who run such a small campaign are required only to file a simple one-page form known as an “Form A-1.”
According to ELEC’s May 10, 2017 complaint, Bernard Manson failed to file either his regular election-cycle-reports or a Form A-1 when he ran for a Fairfield Township Committee seat in the November 2015 general election. On May 29, 2017, apparently after receiving ELEC’s complaint, Manson filed his Form A-1 in which he certified that he met the small-campaign qualification that relieved him from filing the more complex election-cycle reports. Because he failed to make any timely filing at all, ELEC reprimanded Manson and fined him $275.
ELEC’s April 12, 2017 complaint against Committeeman David Gonzalez is similar except that it dealt with the 2015 primary election rather than the general election. Gonzalez filed his Form A-1 on July 14, 2017 so it is expected that ELEC will issue its ruling shortly. Those interested in searching ELEC’s complaint database may access it here.
