FEC fines Marjorie Taylor Greene $12,000 for illegal PAC fundraising

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) fined Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene $12,000 (R-Ga.) for alleged illegal PAC fundraising, according to a recently-published conciliation agreement.

The FEC said Greene violated Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA), for “soliciting non-federal” funds by reposting an advertisement she appeared in on her official Greene for Congress social media accounts. The advertisement was for political action committee (PAC) “Stop Socialism Now PAC.”

The PAC posted the advertisement on its website, YouTube and social media feeds in December 2020. The video featured Greene speaking about the 2021 Senate runoff elections in her home state, which eventually resulted in the election of Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to their current seats, according to the conciliation agreement.

In the video, Greene attempted to raise money for the PAC’s efforts to keep Ossoff and Warnock from winning the seats.

“Stop Socialism Now PAC will stop Ossoff and Warnock from stealing our Senate seats,” Greene said in the ad, according to the agreement. “It’s time to fight back now, before it’s too late.

FECA prohibits “federal candidates and officeholders, their agents, and entities directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by or acting on behalf of federal candidates and officeholders, from soliciting funds in connection with a federal election ‘unless the funds are subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of the Act.'”

The FEC alleged that by reposting the advertisement in which she requests contributions through on-screen text, her plea to “make a contribution today” in the video and via a web address for the donation webpage, she solicited non-federal funds.

The FEC accepted the agreement in early December, and Greene had 30 days after it became “effective” to comply with it.

Since she was first elected in 2020, Greene has become a well-known and controversial figure in American politics. Earlier this week, a Florida resort canceled an event with her that would’ve occurred on the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

“Please be advised that Westgate was not made aware of the purpose of this event when we were approached to host a book signing,” the resort said in an emailed statement. “This event has been cancelled and is no longer taking place at our resort.”