The Federal Election Commission is squealing at a major pork industry political action committee for not disclosing the "anonymous" source behind thousands of dollars it raked in, documents show.
The political arm of the National Pork Producers Council, a trade group composed of 42 affiliated state pork producer associations, failed to report recently on financial disclosures who gave it $9,706 in March. Now, the FEC is threatening "enforcement action" or to launch an investigation into the matter and other discrepancies from the PAC, which is being told to file amended records.
BIDEN LEANS INTO HEALTHCARE AS ISSUE TO PUMMEL 'MAGA' REPUBLICANS IN 2024
"Adequate responses must be received by the commission on or before the due date noted above to be taken into consideration in determining whether audit action will be initiated," the FEC, which set an Oct. 2 deadline, wrote in the letter. "Failure to comply with the provisions of the act may also result in an enforcement action against the committee. Any response submitted by your committee will be placed on the public record and will be considered by the commission prior to taking enforcement action."
The NPPC, which has spent at least $1.47 million lobbying in 2023, gives to mostly Republican lawmakers through its PAC. It touts on its website how the pork industry adds $57 billion to the GDP, while 610,000 jobs are supported by it.
In the letter, the PAC was told that anonymous cash contributions used in federal elections can be no more than $50. Moreover, the PAC was slammed by the regulator for not having a treasurer or designated agent sign its financial disclosures, and reporting almost $11,000 in payments to the trade group to "reimburse for [a] fundraiser event."
Federal law bars corporations and labor organizations from "contributing funds for the purpose of influencing any federal election" or "facilitating the making of contributions to candidates or political committees, other than to the separate segregated funds of the corporations and labor organizations," according to the FEC.
The FEC also took aim at the PAC for its $4,000 contribution to Sen. J.D. Vance's (R-OH) campaign in March, despite it being for the 2022 general election. "Contributions may not be designated for an election which has already occurred unless the funds are to be used to reduce a candidate committee's debts incurred during that election campaign," the regulator said.
"If any apparently impermissible contribution in question was incompletely or incorrectly disclosed, you should amend your original report with clarifying information," the FEC wrote to the PAC. "If the contribution(s) in question should have been designated for debt retirement, you should amend your report to indicate 'debt retirement,' along with the year of election."
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The National Pork Producers Council did not return a request for comment.
The FEC declined to comment.