As part of the June 3, 2024, General Election duties, the Wahzhazhe Elections Office staff and board reviewed a first round of Congressional candidate campaign reports, certified two candidates’ reports for having no errors and issued $500 fines to two candidates for not following the rules.
On May 21, the Election Board members and staff reviewed the 16 candidate campaign reports, which are mandated by election rules/ regulations to be submitted once before and once after Election Day detailing candidates’ deposits, donations and expenditures while using their respective bank accounts for campaign purposes.
The board voted to certify the campaign reports submitted by candidates Jodie Revard and William Kemble as their reports had no errors or inaccuracies.
Next, the board found that the remaining 14 candidate campaign reports contained errors, inaccuracies and other missing information that must be corrected and re-submitted by those candidates in order to be certified. Each candidate received a notification letter from the Election Office listing the inaccuracies and errors found in their respective reports.
Due to the election timeline with other approaching deadlines, Election Day activities and high number of reports needing corrections, the election board decided to postpone further action on the reports until after the election. The board was scheduled to revisit the reports on May 28, but Election Supervisor Alexis Rencountre advised the board that several reports still needed corrective actions by the candidates.
During the May 21 meeting, the board noted that candidate Billy Keene did not use his campaign bank account for some transactions and Board Chair Shannon Lockett voted to fine Keene $500, which was seconded. The motion passed unanimously with votes by Lockett, Vice Chair Terry Hazen and member Belle Wilson.
For the second candidate fine issued, Rencountre said Christa Fulkerson submitted her campaign report by email after the listed deadline at 4:30 p.m. on May 17. According to the election rules/ regulations, candidates who fail to submit their reports by the required deadlines shall be fined $500. Hazen motioned for the board to fine Fulkerson $500 and the motion was also seconded and passed unanimously.
The Election Office reported that Keene and Fulkerson both paid their fines by the May 29 deadline set for monetary fines due for any issuances before Election Day.
Election Board officials will meet again June 12 to consider certifying the unofficial election results, as well as pending business with the campaign reports.
