The Minnesota Corn Growers Association paid an $8,000 fine earlier this month for acting as a political action committee, or PAC, without registering its activities with the Federal Election Commission.
Minnesota Corn, a nonprofit trade association, also failed to disclose its association with the Minnesota Corn Growers PAC, failed to file fund-raising and expenditure reports from 2000 through 2007, and gave excessive contributions to some candidates.
According to a conciliation agreement, the trade association reported all of its contribution activity to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. But it made no filings to the federal commission, even though 76 percent of the $83,680 it raised between 2004 and 2007 went to federal candidates.
The agreement says Minnesota Corn "may have accepted" $9,500 in prohibited contributions from the Southern Minnesota Sugar Cooperative, a state PAC, from 2002 to 2005. The funds may not have complied with federal law because Minnesota allows labor unions to contribute up to $100 to state PACs, but federal law prohibits it.
Minnesota Corn made excessive contributions in 2005 of $2,500 to then-Sen. Norm Coleman and $3,000 to then-Rep. Mark Kennedy, both Minnesota Republicans. In 2006, it gave $5,000 to Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., $3,000 to former Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., and $3,000 to Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn..
Minnesota Corn told the elections commission about its contributions in 2006 but did not file its missing disclosure reports until 2008. Commission records dated March 11 say the association paid an $8,000 civil penalty this month.
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
