House bills look to tighten loopholes in campaign finance
reporting
STATE HOUSE – Two more
bills that address campaign finance reporting have been submitted in the House
of Representatives in an effort to tighten loopholes in existing laws.
In legislation (2015-H
5935) submitted by Rep. Robert E. Craven (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown), the
Board of Elections would conduct annual random audits of 5 percent of
all campaign accounts.
“By requiring the
Board of Elections to conduct random audits, we can greatly diminish, if not
eliminate, the abuses of campaign finances that we see from time to time,” said
Representative Craven, chairman of the House Committee on Municipal Government
and former legal counsel to the Rhode Island Board of Elections.
This act also requires the treasurer or deputy
treasurer to examine and certify the substantial accuracy of campaign finance
reports filed with the board of elections. The examination and
certification provisions would also apply to political action committees.
“By requiring a
separate treasurer on campaigns with large accounts, we’ll have further proof
of the accuracy of the reporting, rather than just taking the candidate’s word
for it,” said Representative Hearn. “This is just another way to tighten the
law and make sure things are above board — by taking away any temptation to use
campaign funds for personal expenses.”
The two bills are the
latest in a series of legislative proposals that seeks to tighten campaign
finance reporting in the wake of the arrest of former Speaker of the House
Gordon Fox.
The first (2015-H
5789), submitted by House Majority Leader John J. DeSimone (D-Dist. 5,
Providence) would require candidates and political action committees to file a
copy of the next bank statement from their campaign account that is issued
after they file their final ongoing quarterly campaign finance report to the
Board of Elections.
“Every time something
like this happens, it distracts from the good work everyone in the General
Assembly is trying to do day in and day out,” said Leader DeSimone. “We have to
spend time trying to regain the public’s trust, when we should be spending that
time tending to the business of the state. This bill is one way to stop this
from happening in the future.”
The second (2015-H
5840), also submitted by Representative Craven, would require candidates
for public office, officeholders and political action committees to maintain
separate campaign accounts exclusively for campaign funds.
“This bill will not only
protect the integrity of the funds donated to or collected for a political
campaign, it will also eliminate the possibility that a candidate or
officeholder is using campaign funds inappropriately, either intentionally or
otherwise,” said Representative Craven. “It should also help ensure the
accuracy of campaign finance reporting, for funds received by a campaign as
well as funds expended by the candidate or officeholder or PAC.”