The Lake County Board of Elections and Registration unanimously approved $1,005 in fees among 15 organizations for either not filing campaign finance reports or filing the reports late for the 2024 primary election at its Tuesday meeting.
Under state statute, organizations that file their campaign finance reports late are fined $100 per day up to $1,000, said Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman. The campaign finance reports are due 25 days before the primary election date, she said.
The board has set up a recommended fee structure based on how many times an organization filed late, how many days late, and if members provided a letter of explanation or not, Fajman said.
For example, an organization that filed late for the third time without a letter would be charged $75 instead of the $100 per day up to $1,000 under state statute, according to the board’s fee structure.
But the process raised questions from board member Michael Mellon, a Republican, who asked the board to consider at a later meeting a two-step fine process: determining the fine under state statute and then reducing the fine under board procedure. Currently, the board approves the fees under its structure, without discussing the state fines, in one meeting, Fajman said.
“I feel like procedurally we could be kind of jumping ourselves a little bit,” Mellon said. “In banking, our rule is you charge the fee and then you waive it later because then people see how nice you are.”
Fajman said Mellon’s idea is a great one and could be incorporated by adding another column to the data sheet the board gets to show the state fine owed compared to the board’s fine.
“Our goal isn’t to fine you until you can’t run for office, but to fine you to the point where you see these as your responsibility when you become a candidate,” Fajman said.
The Gary Democratic Precinct Organization was fined $350 for not filing a campaign finance report. The organization missed the filing deadline seven times, according to Lake County Board of Elections and Registration data.
The Committee to Elect Elizabeth Hmurovic for Coroner was fined $100 for not filing a campaign finance report. The committee missed the filing deadline twice, according to the data.
The Committee to Elect Carter for Coroner and the Democratic Precincts of Gary were both fined $25 for not filing campaign finance reports. Both organizations missed the filing deadline for the first time, according to the data.
Merrillville/Ross Township Democratic Precinct Organization was fined $125 for filing 47 days late without a letter of explanation. The organization missed the filing deadline five times, according to the data.
Winfield Township Democratic Precinct Organization was fined $100 for filing 63 days late without a letter of explanation. The organization missed the filing deadline four times, according to the data.
Tri-Creek Republican Committee and Gary Republican Central Committee were each fined $75 for filing late without a letter of explanation. The Tri-Creek Republican Committee filed 20 days late and the Gary Republican Central Committee filed 13 days late, according to the data, and both organizations missed the filing deadline three times.
The Schererville Democratic Golf Outing was fined $20 for filing 18 days late without a letter of explanation. The organization missed the deadline for the first time.
The Merrillville/Ross Township Republican Organization was fined $10 for filing 26 days late without a letter of explanation. The organization missed the deadline for the first time. The fine was reduced from $20 after a member of the organization apologized to the board Tuesday for filing the report so late.
The Cedar Lake Hanover Township Republican Committee was fined $60 for filing 21 days late with a letter of explanation. The committee missed the deadline three times, according to the data.
The Munster Republican Central Committee and the Putting Whiting Students First were each fined $10 for filing 18 days late with a letter. Each organization filed late for the first time, according to the data.
More Top Picks 83
The St. John Republican Team was fined $10 for filing 20 days late with a letter of explanation. The organization filed late for the first time, according to the data.
The Greater Gary PAC was fined $10 for filing 40 days late with a letter of explanation. The organization filed late for the first time, according to the data.