XPost: alt.politics.trump, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, talk.politics.guns   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: drooler@gmail.com   
      
   The Federal Election Commission has reportedly fined Hillary Clinton's   
   2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee over complaints that   
   they violated federal law in improperly describing expenditures to law   
   firm Perkins Coie, who then hired research firm Fusion GPS to dig up dirt   
   on then-candidate Donald Trump.   
      
   The Coolidge Reagan Foundation published a letter said to be from the FEC,   
   in response to the foundation's complaint against Hillary for America and   
   the DNC. The Washington Examiner first reported on the memo.   
      
   TRUMP SUES HILLARY CLINTON, DNC, OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN RUSSIA PROBE   
      
   "After conducting an investigation in this matter, the Commission found   
   probable cause to believe that the DNC Services Corp./Democratic National   
   Committee and Virginia McGregor in her official capacity as treasurer (the   
   "DNC") violated 52 U.S.C. § 30104(b)(5)(A) and (b)(6)(B)(v) and 11 C.F.R.§   
   104.3(b)(3)(i)," the memo said. "The Commission further found probable   
   cause to believe that Hillary for America and Elizabeth Jones in her   
   official capacity as treasurer ("HFA") violated 52 U.S.C.§ 30104(b)(5)(A)   
   and 11 C.F.R. § 104.3(b)(4)(i)."   
      
   The alleged violations are of a federal statute and FEC regulations   
   requiring the disclosures of the recipients of expenditures greater than   
   $200, as well as the date, amount and purpose of the spending. They were   
   accused of disguising money spent on opposition research as legal   
   expenses.   
      
   The memo states that on Feb. 17 of this year, the DNC and Clinton campaign   
   signed conciliation agreements, where they did not admit wrongdoing and   
   maintained the position that money spent on hiring Perkins Coie was meant   
   for legal fees, but agreed not to contest the findings of probable cause   
   in order to settle the matter.   
      
   As part of the agreements, the DNC agreed to pay a civil penalty of   
   $105,000, and the Clinton campaign agreed to pay $8,000.   
      
   Asked by Fox News to confirm that the FEC sent the memo, a commission   
   representative said, "FEC staff members are not authorized to comment on   
   enforcement matters." The representative added that the FEC has 30 days   
   after notifying parties to make documents public. This is consistent with   
   the memo, which says documents "related to the case" will be made public   
   within 30 days.   
      
   Fox News reached out to the DNC for comment but they did not immediately   
   respond.   
      
   The research conducted by Fusion GPS ultimately included the notorious   
   Trump dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele. The dossier   
   was used to justify Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants against   
   former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in the early stages of the FBI's   
   Russia investigation, despite it not being verified.   
      
   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dnc-clinton-campaign-fec-civil-penalties-   
   perkins-coie-fusion-gps   
      
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