---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Date: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 Subject: Re: Fwd: Is Public Television Giving Free Advertising to Only One Candidate? To: Bruce Majors <[email protected]>
Thank you for contacting the Federal Election Commission. Under federal campaign finance law, contributions made from the treasury funds of a corporation are prohibited. 11 CFR 114.2. However, there is an exemption to the definition of contribution or expenditure, known as the “news story exemption” which allows for a news entity (such as a newspaper) to carry a news story, commentary or editorial about a federal election and not have it result in a contribution (or expenditure) from the news entity. In order for this exemption to apply, the media entity may not be owned or controlled by any political party, political committee or candidate. See 11 CFR 100.73. Any individual who believes that a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act has occurred may file a formal complaint with the FEC. I'm afraid that we cannot accept a complaint via email. While the FEC does not have a complaint form, in order to file a formal complaint in order to initiate any action on the matter, a complaint must comply with certain requirements. It must provide the full name and address of the person filing the complaint and be signed, sworn and notarized. For more information about the FEC’s complaint process, please consult our brochure entitled, Filing a Complaint. Please be sure to provide complete information in the proper format (no email) when making submissions to the Office of General Counsel, as described in the brochure. Additionally, if you have questions regarding equal access to broadcast media, fairness doctrine rules or the procedures for filing complaints in those areas, please contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Mass Media Bureau, Policy Division at 202-418-2120 or 202-418-1440 (direct number for the political programming staff), or on their website at http://www.fcc.gov/mb/policy/political/ I hope you find this information helpful. If you have further questions concerning the campaign finance law, please call the Information Division, toll-free, 1-800-424-9530 (press #6 when prompted). Thank you. Please note that the guidance provided by this correspondence is strictly informational and is NOT legally binding. Only the Commission, via the Advisory Opinion process, has the authority to issue a legally binding opinion. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. From: Bruce Majors <[email protected]> To: [email protected], Cc: [email protected], [email protected] Date: 10/07/2012 07:43 PM Subject: Fwd: Is Public Television Giving Free Advertising to Only One Candidate? ________________________________ Dear Madam or Sir: I see that Maryland Public Television is continuing to provide Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton with air time on Bonnie Urbe's "To the contrary" and other shows, even though we are in an election cycle. She is a panelist on these shows ( http://www.mpt.org/schedule/detail/6208/2012-10-07) not a newsmaker or politician being covered. It seems to me that this is a partisan misuse of the taxpayer funds you receive (including mine) as well as a violation of journalistic ethics and equal time provisions. Have you reported this free advertising (30 minute programs) as a campaign contribution? It seems that these appearances are worth more than $200 and should therefore be reported. Additionally, I believe the limit for donating to a campaign is $2300. Is a half hour of your air time worth less than this? There are two other candidates on the ballot running against Delegate Norton. I am one of them. Sincerely, Bruce Majors Libertarian for Congress www.BruceMajorsDC.com (202) 704-6401 -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
