FEC Flubs I: Marina Kats

The very observant Josh Drobnyk, over at Pennsylvania Avenue, has noted an anomaly in Marina Kats's first FEC report FEC disclosure report. Seems it was late being filed. The details of FEC filing escape me, and are unintelligible to most mortals, but if you are running for Congress it is important to try to figure them out.

An excerpt from Drobnyk's blog:

Like many things in Congress, the rules concerning financial disclosures -- which list all candidates assets and income apart from the property they live in -- aren't particularly straightforward. But there are far trickier things to overcome.

What's clear is this: A candidate who raises at least $5,000 must file her disclosure 30 days before the primary, which was held in Pennsylvania on April 22. Kats, a personal injury attorney from Abington, broke that barrier on March 17 after receiving $5,600 on one day, meaning her statement was due less than a week later.

Kats' campaign argues that some of that money was for the general election, so she wasn't over the $5,000 threshold for a primary. But that argument doesn't hold up to the rules, which don't discriminate between primary and general election money. Besides, the campaign received even more money a month later, just days before the primary. Under House rules, a candidate would then immediately have to file a disclosure.

Uh oh....

Update: Kats is the Republican candidate for the 13th congressional district, running against Allyson Schwartz.