The Federal Election Commission has informed the South Dakota Democratic Party they have closed the file on a campaign finance violation during the 2016 election cycle related to the Hillary Victory Fund.
The SDDP agreed to pay a $40,000 penalty and disgorge $2,565 in improper contributions. The SDDP issued the necessary payments this week and no longer has outstanding violations with the FEC. As the FEC notes in the agreement, “none of the current officers or employees of the [SDDP] were present during or responsible for the conduct [leading to the penalty].”
SDDP Chair Randy Seiler of Fort Pierre issued the following statement:
“When I took over as Chair in 2019, I committed to improving the financial health of the Party and fully resolving these issues with the FEC from past election cycles. I would like to thank our Vice-Chair Nikki Gronli, Treasurer Larry Olsen, and former Co-Treasurer Marcia Bunger for their tireless work to get us to this point. The Party was in a difficult spot when we took over, but finalizing this agreement to close the book on this issue shows how far we have come.
“With this agreement finalized and the work we have done to improve the financial position of the Party, we are optimistic about the financial outlook of the SDDP heading into 2022. We have re-opened offices in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, have increased the size of our staff, and have no outstanding debts. We are looking forward to the 2022 election cycle with a rejuvenated, energetic, and focused South Dakota Democratic Party.”
During the 2016 election cycle, the South Dakota Democratic Party failed to disclose disbursements related to the Hillary Victory Fund on its original campaign finance reports, filing amended reports after the general election. In addition, during the 2016 election cycle, the SDDP received contributions from unregistered organizations without confirming those contributions were made using permissible funds. This conciliation agreement with the FEC resolves all outstanding violations by the Party.
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