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Rep. Mia Love releases email from FEC, says ‘no further action’ needed from her campaign

Posted at 9:58 PM, Oct 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-18 23:59:04-04

SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Mia Love released copies of a letter she received from the Federal Election Commission Thursday afternoon, the central focus being the money Love raised for a primary election that never happened.

“They’ve sent a letter stating that we’ve done what we needed to do and that no further action needs to be taken by our campaign,” Love said. “That’s not from me. That’s from the entity that oversees all of these things.”

The letter states Love’s campaign committee, Friends of Mia Love, “is not required to take any corrective action regarding the primary election contributions at issue…”

What the letter does not disclose is which of the primary election contributions is “at issue.”

Is it the $1 million Ben McAdams claims she is using illegally in one of his campaign ads? Or is it referencing funds transferred after the State convention held April 21, 2018 from Love’s primary election to her general election committee?

According to the Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates and Committees, “funds that went un used in the primary election may be transferred without limit to a candidate’s general election campaign.”

But transferring funds is not the question for McAdam’s Communications Director Alyson Heyrend, it’s why Love was raising funds for a primary election that wasn’t going to be held.

“I think what the FEC was asking for an explanation for was why,” Heyrend said. “When no one had filed against Mia Love, when she knew she’s not going to have an opponent: Why did she continue to raise funds for a primary election that was never going to be held?"

The letter states the Friends of Mia Love “could retain the primary election contributions it received prior to April 21, 2018, the date Ms. Love became the nominee at the party convention.”

Heyrend responded saying the FEC email was referencing a very narrow part of campaign finance law and doesn’t give details to which specific part it’s referring to.

“We don’t know the underlying details,” Heyrend said. “We don’t know if she met the deadlines appropriately to be able to re-designate.”

Earlier Thursday, Love told another news outlet, “I honestly believe that Mayor McAdams should pull out of this race.”

But when Fox 13 asked Love about it, she backed down.

“Mayor McAdams can do whatever he wants to,” she said. “I just want the voters to know that they have a choice."