GOP lawmaker to refund some donations FEC says were raised improperly: report

The campaign of Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) said it will refund or re-designate some of the campaign funds that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) says were raised improperly, CNN’s KFile reported on Monday.

The FEC sent a letter to Love last month informing her that her campaign had violated federal guidelines by raising money for a primary that they did not expect to happen, according to documents obtained by KFile.

The incumbent lawmaker secured her party’s nomination at the state GOP’s convention in April, and faced no primary challengers.

Love’s campaign replied to the FEC that they planned to refund or re-designate the contributions that were made after the convention, though that could be less than the alleged amount cited by FEC in the violation, according to CNN’s KFile.{mosads}

The campaign raised $1.15 million designated for a primary, and an additional $372,000 for the primary after the convention, CNN’s KFile reported, citing the letter from the FEC to Love.

CNN’s KFile said it had reached out to Love, her campaign, her campaign treasurer and her campaign manager, but did not receive a response to a request for comment.

The FEC said, according to KFile, that Utah rules prohibit raising money for primaries if they are not expected to occur. The agency is allowing Love to refund or re-designate the money by moving it to her general election fund, CNN’s KFile noted.

But because the contributions were all made more than 60 days ago — past the FEC’s time limit for re-designation — it is possible that Love’s campaign could face additional penalties if they re-designate the funds, according to the news site.

Love’s campaign issued a statement to The Hill saying they “strongly dispute” KFile’s report.

The campaign confirmed that it will re-designate and refund some of the donations received after the state convention, but called KFile’s figures biased and “grossly exaggerated.”

The Love campaign told The Hill that the FEC did not say in its letter that the campaign broke any laws, but instead “requested a response for information as to why funds were attributed to the Convention and the Primary elections.” The campaign also said that it prepared for a primary by “paying over $35,000 to gather signatures to be on the primary ballot,” and that it was not known “with certainty” until the date of the convention that there would be no primary challenger.

“In total, Friends of Mia Love will redesignate about $370,000 and may refund under $10,000,” a campaign spokesperson said in the statement.

Love will face Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams (D) in the general election.

Updated at 1:09 p.m.