Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Committee for Rep Lane Evans, D-IL, pays big fine to FEC

More stuff you won't find in the New York Times. From AP, via CBS 2 Chicago:

Democratic Rep. Lane Evans' campaign committee has agreed to pay $185,000 in civil penalties to settle accusations that it illegally used another committee to help fund the congressman's 1998 and 2000 campaigns.

In addition, Illinois' Rock Island Democratic Central Committee will pay $30,000 in civil penalties, according to the consent agreement signed Monday by a federal judge. None of the defendants admitted any wrongdoing in the settlement.

``We're very confident we would have prevailed (in court)'' Evans spokesman Steve Vetzner said. ``It's not worth the time and trouble.''

The Rock Island County Republican Party filed the original complaint with the Federal Election Committee in 2000. The FEC then filed a lawsuit last year in U.S. District Court in Rock Island.

The FEC alleged the Friends of Lane Evans Committee set up the 17th District Victory Fund as a separate entity before the 1998 election and then used most of the $500,000 that it raised to benefit the campaign, which was restricted by statutory limits on campaign contributions.

The FEC said the Victory Fund spent at least $330,000 on voter identification and voter drives that promoted Evans.

Tom Getz, Chairman of the Rock Island County Republican Party, said the alleged activities cost his party the election in 1998.

Officials with the Rock Island Democratic Central Committee did not immediately return calls Tuesday for comment.

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