From The State Journal-Register:

State moves closer to lower fines for campaign violations

By ADRIANA COLINDRES
STATE CAPITOL BUREAU

The State Board of Elections on Monday initiated a process that eventually could mean greatly reduced fines against the campaign funds of Gov. George Ryan, Secretary of State Jesse White and other political candidates who didn't properly report campaign contributions.

The campaign funds were fined for violating the state's Gift Ban Act, which requires prompt filing of campaign finance reports and fast disclosure of large campaign contributions close to an election.

But few of the fines have been collected. The Gift Ban Act, passed in 1998, was challenged in court, a challenge that wasn't resolved until May, when the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the act's constitutionality on technical grounds.

Violating the Gift Ban Act meant hefty fines against some campaign funds - in some instances reaching six-figure amounts that seemed "totally ludicrous and unreasonable," said Ronald Michaelson, executive director of the Board of Elections.

Now, the board is "trying to adopt a rule that still makes the fines tough and meaningful, but just makes them more reasonable so the penalty is more in association with the offense," Michaelson said.

"We don't want to make it appear that we're giving politicians a break," he said. "But what we want to do is make sure that we have an enforceable act, rather than one that would be thrown out in court because we can't collect these unreasonably high fines."

Under the existing, complicated rule on fines, campaign funds face financial penalties that can escalate quickly and without limit, he said.

"The new fine authority will be based both on the amount of the delinquency as well as the extent of the delinquency," Michaelson said. "The higher the delinquent amount and the longer the account has remained delinquent, the higher the fine."

For example, Gov. Ryan's campaign committee, which faces a $20,000 fine under the existing rule, would be fined just $500 under the proposed new rule.

White's campaign committee, which faces an $800,000 fine under the existing rule, would be fined just $2,800 under the proposed new rule.

The board's action Monday means a rule-making process, expected to last about three months or longer, can get under way.

Adriana Colindres can be reached at 782-6292 or adriana.colindres@sj-r.com.