There is great news with respect to Judicial Watch’s vigorous attempts to hold New York Senator Hillary Clinton accountable for campaign finance fraud.
The Federal Election Commission, responding to a Judicial Watch complaint, fined the Clinton fundraising operation $35,000 for failing to report more than $700,000 in campaign contributions from former Judicial Watch client Peter Paul.
After more than 5 years of denying any wrongdoing, the Clinton group refused to even contest the charges, and instead signed a “conciliation agreement” with the FEC. According to the agreement, the FEC found “there was probable cause to believe New York Senate 2000 and Andrew Grossman, in his official capacity as [the campaign’s] treasurer violated 2 U.S.S Sec 434(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and 11 D.F.R. Sec 102(c)(8)(i)(A).”
Hillary Clinton’s fundraising group now has 30 days from the execution of the agreement (Dec. 13) to correct the false reports and pay the fine.
Obviously I’m not satisfied with a slap-on-the-wrist fine. Hillary Clinton and her campaign staff ought to be in jail for flouting campaign finance laws. But in looking at the big picture, this is a huge victory for Judicial Watch and its supporters. For five years we have doggedly pursued this scandal working hand-in-hand with the Justice Department and the FEC. Thanks to these efforts, a top Clinton aide, Hillary’s National Finance Director, David Rosen, was indicted on charges he knowingly filed false campaign finance reports with the FEC. And now, Hillary Clinton’s fundraising operation has been fined, and publicly shamed, for its transgressions. Hopefully the Senate Ethics Committee will follow the FEC’s lead and take action on Judicial Watch