Macon-Bibb House hopefuls explain past due campaign fines

The state of Georgia thinks the public has a right to know how politicians get and spend their campaign money, so elected officials and hopefuls have to file reports disclosing that or face a fine.

But the three Macon-Bibb folks who want to represent House District 142 in the state Legislature — the body that writes campaign finance law — have all racked up fees for failing to provide their own campaign paperwork to the state.

Gerald Harvey, Miriam Paris and disputed candidate Frank Austin are all Democrats. With no Republicans running, the winner of the May 24 primary will win the seat.

Every few months, elected officials and candidates have to disclose their campaign collections and spending to the commission, even if it’s not an election year. Once per year, politicians and those who have declared a run for office also must file a personal financial disclosure to list their assets and business interests.

Each time one of those reports is late or not filed at all, state law mandates a fine that’s now set at $125.

Harvey owes $1,375 in fines for late or non-filed reports dating back to 2011, according to the commission. Harvey acknowledges he was late with one filing this year and said he will pay that fine.

As for the older ones from previous campaigns, he said there were technical problems with the state’s computer system.

“I’m disputing my ability to access the e-filing and get it done,” said Harvey, who told The Telegraph he has let the commission know he is disputing the fines.

Paris owes $1,250 in fines also dating back to 2011, according to the commission.

She said she thinks all of hers have accumulated from a tentative run in the 2011 Macon mayoral race that she quickly abandoned to run for the state Senate.

“I didn’t collect any money” for the mayoral race, Paris said.

But even though Paris did not campaign for mayor, she did not file the paperwork to formally end her run, according to the commission’s records.

She said she thinks that starting her Senate run would automatically close down the mayoral account. Instead, she said, she’s been getting fines levied for years.

“I need to pay my fees,” Paris said.

Meanwhile, Austin owes $125 for a late disclosure this year, according to the state. His candidacy is hanging on by a thread. He’s appealing a decision by the state’s top election official that he has not lived in the district long enough to run for office in House District 142.

Austin said he was not aware of the fine.

“I will get it taken care of,” he said.

It’s common enough for politicians to argue that the state’s filing system has tripped them up.

Indeed this year, the state Legislature approved a bill that would have forgiven fines levied in city, county and school board races from 2010 through part of 2014. Bill supporters argued that in some places, administrative and technical problems kept candidates from filing.

But Republican Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed the measure. In a written statement, Deal said House Bill 370 amounted to amnesty for individuals who failed to follow the correct procedure. He also said administering the retroactive change would be too burdensome for the state campaign finance agency and that it would potentially allow refunds to violators who already have paid their fines

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb House hopefuls explain past due campaign fines."