Congresswoman Mia Love illegally raised $1 million for her campaign this cycle – according to CNN, the FEC, and Mia Love. This did not stop Mia Love from trying to avoid fault – calling the CNN journalists who uncovered her wrongdoing “national liberal reporters” working “to help Democrats take the House” and insisting that circumventing campaign finance laws is “a normal thing.”
But in a puzzling and ill-advised move, Mia Love decided to release a statement immediately before her debate in Utah on Monday night, claiming that an unnamed ‘Senior Campaign Finance Analyst’ at the FEC had cleared her of wrongdoing. This is not how the FEC works – a public vote by Commissioners decides complaints. Which is what Mia Love– no stranger to making stuff up to get herself out of trouble – learned on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the FEC denied her bizarre claim to Utah reporters. DCCC spokesperson Drew Godinich released the following statement:
“Congresswoman Mia Love is willing to do whatever it takes to avoid responsibility for the $1 million she illegally raised for her campaign – including lying to Utahns at a debate. These are the tactics we have come to expect from DC political insiders and Donald Trump – but given that Mia Love supports him 96% of the time, this should come as no surprise. Mia Love should immediately return the $1 million she illegally raised and apologize to the people of Utah.”
Read and watch the coverage of the last chapter in Mia Love’s campaign finance scandal below:
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: FEC does not back up Mia Love’s claim that it cleared her of raising $1 million illegally — after she told reporters that it would
“Mia Love claimed during a debate Monday night that the Federal Election Commission decided she violated no laws by raising $1 million for a primary she never faced — and she urged reporters to call the agency to verify that. ‘The FEC actually said that if you call them, they will corroborate what we have said,’ she told reporters. But on Tuesday, the FEC said it had no comment on the situation — neither verifying nor denying Love’s claim that an FEC analyst had called her campaign with that news. Myles Martin, an FEC press officer, said such analysts are not allowed to speak to the press and cannot talk on the record about any FEC positions.”
DESERET NEWS: Controversy over Utah Rep. Mia Love’s fundraising is not over
“The controversy surrounding money raised by Rep. Mia Love for a primary election that never happened was far from settled Tuesday, despite the Republican congresswoman’s claim that the issue had been decided in her favor. Love invited the news media to call the Federal Election Commission analyst who spoke with her campaign to confirm the statement she issued moments before debating Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams Monday night…But Judith Ingram, a press officer for the FEC, told the Deseret News Tuesday that analysts are not authorized to talk to the press and it was just a “possibility” that someone from the agency spoke with Love’s campaign.”
KSL: Controversy over Rep. Mia Love’s fundraising is not over
ABC4: Rep. Mia Love responds to FEC complaint, denies wrongdoing
FOX13: Love denies wrongdoing amid campaign finance complaint
AP: Love asserts win on fundraising probe, but complaint remains
“Republican U.S. Rep. Mia Love says the Federal Election Commission is siding with her on questions of whether she improperly raised money for a primary that never happened, but the agency isn’t commenting and Democrats aren’t backing down.
FEC spokesman Christian Hilland said Tuesday they don’t speak publicly about their communications, including a conversation the Love campaign said they had with an FEC analyst. He says analysts stay in touch with campaigns, but seldom end probes in a phone call.”
KUER-FM: FEC Complaint Against Love Campaign Still Pending, Despite Love’s Claim Agency Had Resolved Issues
“The FEC does not comment on individual candidates or ongoing reviews. Reached by phone, an agency’s press office said it could not confirm whether the phone call took place between the analyst, Michael Dobi, and the campaign.
The agency’s four commissioners have sole authority to make an official determination of legality or compliance with commission regulations.
Most FEC investigations take more than a year to resolve, said Thomas of the Alliance for a Better Utah, meaning their complaint is unlikely to be resolved before next month’s election.”
Roll Call: Mia Love Claims FEC Cleared Her — Others Say Not So Fast
“Utah Rep. Mia Love does not appear to be out of the woods just yet over a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission over funds she raised for a GOP primary race she allegedly knew she would not have.
That’s despite Love claiming in a statement Monday night that the FEC has cleared her of any wrongdoing after she agreed to re-designate roughly $370,000 in campaign contributions made between the GOP nominating convention in April and the June primary date, when Love did not face a Republican challenger.
She also returned more than $10,000 to donors in the third filing quarter for donations that her campaign legal team deemed she needed to return.”