[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/18/art.palin0818.gi.jpg caption=" Palin's PAC is correcting a number of FEC errors."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sarah Palin's political action committee violated federal election laws with two donations earlier this year and filed a mid-year report with a number of errors in it, according to the Federal Election Commission.
In a five-page letter to SarahPAC treasurer Tim Crawford, the FEC highlights a number of issues with the filed report, including donating more than is allowed to the reelection campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Lisa Murkowski, as well as not providing proper descriptions on how some of the PAC's money was spent.
Contacted by CNN, Crawford said the committee was currently revising the report to fix the errors and said these types of mistakes are not uncommon with FEC filings.
"A million of these [correction letters] go out every month," Crawford said. "They send out a lot of them.
A spokesman for the FEC said its standard practice for all reports to be reviewed, but would not estimate how many PAC's usually have to file corrections.
Specifically, the FEC notes SarahPAC gave $5,000 to McCain and Murkowski's primary campaigns - $2,600 more than is allowed for a PAC of SarahPAC's designation to give to a primary effort. SarahPAC also designated the donation for the senators' 2009 primary when in fact the primaries are in 2010.
To fix the error, Crawford said the PAC will allocate $2,400 to the senators' primary campaigns and $2,400 to the general election effort as is allowed under election laws. The PAC has also obtained a $200 refund from both campaigns to make up the difference.
"We essentially gave $200 too much," Crawford said. "We have since redesignated with both committees."
Crawford attributed some of the mistakes to being a new PAC and also noted FEC software that was supposed to flag mistakes when reports are initially submitted showed no errors with their filing.
"We filed what we thought was perfectly right," Crawford said. "If there is a violation, the FEC won't accept the report, but ours was accepted with no warnings or violations."
SarahPAC has until September 24 to file an amended report.
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They're all morons! Palin for nothing, that is what she stands for!
This poor sorry woman needs to " Fade " into the sunset and with a little luck rest in peace .
You wouldn't expect an idiot like Palin to surround herself with smart competent people , now would you? After all, if you want to make yourself look like the sharpest knife in the drawer, you fill the draw with potato peelers.
So who do I need to contact with a FOIA request to the FEC to see the report on the Obama campaign coffers? I bet I get a real warm reception on that...as if anybody is allowed to even consider a need to review his campaign contributions. I'm sure any investigation into his majesty's finances would be immediately squashed by his fine upstanding attorney general...
Nope...we're only allowed to question Palin, Bush, McCain, but not the chosen one...after all, he can commit no sin.
sarah-
stay in alaska and steal from the alaskans....we don't accept your kind any more. Maybe you can marry Tom Delay...a perfect couple....and both go on DWTS.
I'm so sick of this "hey liberals" wah wah.
Don't use words like liberal and conservative when talking about Palin – use a word like NUT. That's far more appropriate.
What is so amazing is that all you Palin supporters don't like her either. You just do not want a black man in the white house. Hell you all would vote for a Zebra rather than Obama. You just try to cover it up using your lame excuses. Obama has not even made a year and you have been complaining from day one. The simple solutions to your complaints are if you hate abortion so much stop having sex, if you don't like gay marriage, don't attend the weddings, if you don't want people that are not as fortunate as you to get health coverage just ignore them. Hell just start your own little Terrorist, racist, country with out government assistance if you hate government so much. Strange that those of you on medicare, social security and the VA payrolls don't want to give that up anytime soon.
We can do without the endless Palin saga.
As for ACORN and democratic finance miscues: the latter were reported, at CNN and elsewhere.
ACORN is only a big issue for those who are repeatedly told it is a big issue. Acquainting oneself with the facts leads to a realization that ACORN was and continues to be the victim of a smear campaign that makes complaints about Palin's coverage seem like infantile whining.
For those who still want to Attack ACORN because low-level temporary workers lacked a proper work ethic, ask FOX News why they hire child molesters and then ask why anyone should listen to a moleter's network. It's pretty much the same type of thinking which has demonized a group of community organizers just trying to improve their neighborhoods.
I guess all that Sarah needs is a good "Community Organizer". She could always ask Acorn or anyone of the Czars to help her out but they all seem to be busy living in the White House.
I am a Palin fan but her treasurer sounds like they are not aware of some of the simpler rules of campaign finance. I am no guru, but the one mistake listed in the article should not be a mistake that is made. If it was something else I could let it slide but the group obviously needs someone that is a little more seasoned.
Why are you so ceaselessly promoting Sarah Palin? She's good for ratings and web hits because she's easy on the eyes as well as a verbal and intellectual train wreck. What a waste of "reportage". CNN and Palin are made for each other.
Wow! Everyone seems to be so defensive when the 'attacks' turn to SP. If I remember correctly, during the presidential campaign, she and her party were on the attack armed with non-factual accusations, improper innuendos and twisted lies. This issue, my friends, is a true fact, something that she does not understand.
Ultimately, this doesn't surprise me as I think she has the intelligence of a sea slug and has an over-inflated ego. Sea slugs can't be sharks. Really, though, I wish she and stories about her would disappear from any and every news source as she is IRRELEVANT.
Can't manager her PAC or personal schedule, and couldn't handle being Governor of a minor state. Definitely not ready for prime time.
Look, its typical sarah palin and also KARMA!
Enough Palin already! PLEASE, NO MORE PALIN!
This woman is a has-been, whack-job – quit flattering her with all of the coverage.
The best way to make an idiot shut-up, is to ignore the idiot.
PLEASE ignore Palin!
Is the FEC picking on Sarah Palin now as well. Poor Sarah. She just wants to do the will of the people and be a beacon for everyone. It's really obvious that "laws" are for everyone else, not her!
When Clinton accepted foreign money from Charlie Trie and then gave missle technology to the Chinese, did liberals complain? When Al Gore accepted money frm Buddhist monks, where were the liberals?
Will she never go away??. Really gettting tried of the stories of a woman who wants so much ,offers nothing, and stir up the GOP to a feeding frenzy.They had better put their thinking caps on....she will never defeat the sitting pres,and if is the best they have to offer they are in deep deep trouble.
Palin is a cartoon ,she is sooooo stupid,always good for a laugh. She needs to find a home and go away.
The divisiveness and hate mongering that Sarah Palin propagated during her election run is not only unforgivable, it was treasonous. Traitor!
Oh she should TOTALLY run for public office again!
She could have been our Vice President, America! WAKE UP!
Sarah Palin is corrupt. All the scandal she has cause in Alaska during this time she has being in the spot light is more than any politician I know. Republican can blame Obama for every thing that the republican party does wrong. It is a shame they cannot own up to their mistake and reponsibilty
Once again the Communist News Network has decided to jump down Sarah Palin's throat. Your slanted "reports" and attacks on Palin once again expose CNN's liberal, leftist tactics that have nothing to do with reporting the news and everything to do with promoting your own agendas!
quit covering her. she is obsolete
What was CNN's role in helping Obama broker the Lockerbie deal ?