HOW WE SEE IT: No Excuse For Forbidden Fundraising

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Republican state House leaders will return corporate donations raised in Rogers in violation of federal election law.

Better late than never. The fundraiser was held June 28. We know for a fact that the office of 3rd Congressional District Rep. Steve Womack was informed about this breach on the very next day. Moreabout that in a minute.

Womack was named as one of the hosts of the fundraiser, held at a private residence and raising about $25,000.

Womack’s co-host was Lt. Gov. Mark Darr.

Wherever federal elected officials go, Federal Election Commission requirements follow. It’s a pretty simple rule. The fact that so manystate and federal leaders in the Republican Party were apparently unaware of this is surprising.

Federal officeholders cannot legally raise “soft” money - money to the Republican Party, in this case, for the benefit of party legislative candidates statewide, as opposed to campaign donations for a specific candidate. Federal Election Commission rules make clear that any such fundraiser can only take in money from individuals or federal Politcal Action Committees, not from corporate donors.

Organizers of the fundraiser estimate $20,000 of the $25,000 raised was from corporate donations.

This is not complex, arcane stuff. It should have been obvious that a report to the FEC, at the very least, should have been filed.

Our news department heard about the fundraiser and called Womack’s office to inquire whether the proper rules had been followed. No answer came, but several days later, a Little Rock political blog reported the money raised at the event was being returned.

We’re glad to see everyone doing the right thing, even if it’s after the fact. And we’re going to cut the congressman’s staff a little slack here - once - and assume that this was a fumble born of inexperience.

But we’ll also be watching a lot more closely.