We ask a lot of people who step up to run for public office. However, we also have a reasonable expectation that when candidates make the choice to seek our vote to serve us that they will comply with the legal obligations of doing so.
Not so fast.
As The Republic’s Andy East reported last week, plenty of candidates — and indeed elected officials — have neglected this basic duty to disclose who is giving them money to run for office.
“A dozen candidates who have run for public office in Bartholomew County in recent years are facing potential penalties, including fines, for failing to file campaign finance reports, county election officials said.”
This has been going on for a long time, in one case dating back to 2014. Democrats, Republicans and independents have been guilty of failing to file campaign finance reports, including a few current and former office holders.
We applaud the bipartisan Bartholomew County Election Board for making it clear to candidates and elected officials that they have a legal obligation to disclose who is funding their campaigns and how they spent money to seek or obtain a position of public trust.
After all, these requirements for candidates and their supporters are not shrouded in mystery. Thoroughly detailed instructions and deadlines are available to any candidate or would-be candidate, or anyone at all for that matter. Google “2024 Indiana Candidate Guide” and you will find the downloadable 156-page guide prepared by the Indiana Election Division. It lays out rules, regulations and key deadlines, including for filing campaign finance reports.
The rules apply to everyone. And in the case of campaign finance reports, public disclosure is the point. And in that regard, you can find campaign finance reports online for any recent local candidate who has filed one here: bartholomew.in.gov/voter-registration/voter-registration-documents/campaign-finance-reports.html.
To the credit of some local officials who previously had not filed campaign finance reports on time, they did after the Election Board notified them that if they didn’t, they would face hearings later this month to explain themselves.
At the same time, several unsuccessful candidates for office in recent years still have some long-overdue homework. They have been put on notice that they must complete campaign finance reports or face a hearing before the Election Board on Feb. 15.
The law says the Election Board can, if it chooses, fine people up to $1,000 for failing to file campaign finance reports.
“We have never taken that action as a board, but those are the state guidelines,” Bartholomew County Clerk and Election Board Secretary Shari Lentz told East, referring to assessing fines against candidates. “… Our goal is not to fine anyone. Our goal is to make sure everyone files the reports. That is why our board is starting to be more proactive.”
The board is taking measured but decisive action, giving candidates the benefit of the doubt that these were omissions or oversights. Candidates have been given plenty of notice and opportunity to comply with the requirements of the law. For those who still fail to do so, a fine would be justified.
