FEC fines Bachmann’s campaign for 2010 violations

WASHINGTON - Michele Bachmann's 2010 congressional campaign will pay an $8,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission for failing to disclose contributions and spending according an FEC filing this week.

The Republican congresswoman announced on Wednesday that she would leave office at the end of this term.

In a document dated May 2, the Bachmann campaign acknowledged that it had failed to report $208,502 in donations and $206,499 in spending. The campaign is also required to send a staffer to attend an FEC conference within the next year, to strengthen its internal controls and to certify that its 2013 and 2014 reports are reviewed by an outside auditor.

Bachmann won her 2010 race against DFL candidate Tarryl Clark by a wide margin. It was the first campaign where Bachmann raised large amounts online from donors contributing small sums. Bachmann ultimately raised more than $13 million in that race and spent $11 million. Soon after that campaign ended, Bachmann began laying the groundwork for her ultimately unsuccessful presidential bid.

The activities of that campaign in Iowa remains under investigation by multiple agencies for possible campaign finance violations, though the newly-disclosed FEC settlement appears unrelated to those allegations.

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