FEC Reporting & Compliance Services

CMDI is known as the compliance experts for Republicans. As industry leaders, we understand the importance of clarity, directness, and efficiency for federal campaign filing. Through CrimsonFiler, we offer committees the tools they need to import data, build reports or amendments, and successfully file them with the FEC. CMDI also employs a team dedicated to scrutinizing every donation and applying the intricate details of campaign finance rules in order to assist clients in meeting all filing requirements. Between CrimsonFiler and our compliance services, we have helped clients file more than 91,000 FEC reports since 1996.

Harnessing Technology

Complying with extensive campaign finance regulations is a major undertaking for any campaign. CMDI approaches this challenge with an eye toward technological solutions, which is especially necessary when contribution volume is high and legal violations could easily be missed. Identifying and properly handling exception contributions, potentially illegal contributions, or those requiring additional research or follow up is just the first step in our thorough compliance program.

‘Best Efforts’ Processes

FEC compliance requires an elaborate correspondence program for sending issue-specific, approved letters to donors, and monitoring the allowable timeframes for replies. Meeting the “Best Efforts” requirements of the FEC is one part of this program. Our compliance team also carefully monitors donor aggregate amounts to assure that contribution limits are not exceeded. With proper handling, excessive amounts can usually be retained by reattributing the funds to a spouse or redesignating them for a different election.

Manage State Compliance

For state level filings, Crimson’s StateFiler generates the data you need to file your reports. Currently, Crimson is integrated with a handful of major Republican state election committees. Contact us at sales@cmdi.com to learn if Crimson works with your state election committee.

Special Contributions

Special treatment of PAC, LLC, and partnership contributions is necessary, and contributions from other organizations often require research. Our compliance team verifies the LLC/partnership is not corporate and sends out the required letters seeking attribution to partners. For PACs, we look up their filing ID and determine their multi-candidate status.

Support for Campaign Staff

The compliance department focuses on preparing data so that FEC reports are clean and accurate. Our seasoned staff have handled challenging situations that complicate the reporting process and bring this experience to each campaign. CMDI’s technical support and can assist in balancing and resolving special reporting issues, including:

  • Assisting with preparing FEC reports as needed.

  • Deduping the database after large file loads.

  • Loading JFC transfers.

  • Providing and processing FEC Qualitative Review reports.

  • Providing automated data cleanup and standardization routines.

Simplify the Compliance Process with CrimsonFiler

Through CrimsonFiler, seamlessly import your data from Crimson or another accounting product, file a report or amendment, or toggle between multiple reports at the same time to update. Powerful and easy-to-use tools facilitate exception coding, gift splitting, re-attributions, redesignations, and more. Crimson also identifies donor records needing “Best Efforts” follow-up and makes that process work smoothly.

CMDI's Compliance Process

To optimize our client’s compliance assurance, our team rigorously conducts the following process:

Screening & Data Entry

1.  Opening, screening, coding, batching, scanning and deposit of check contributions

2. Processing of credit card and cash contributions

3. Data entry and scanning of donor and contribution information into Crimson

4. Screening for contributions requiring Best Efforts

5. Screening for potential exception gifts (unacceptable gifts), which include:

  • Corporate checks

  • Over limit donors

  • Special situation correspondence for partnerships, LLCs, PACs and other organizations

  • Missing information

  • Declined transactions

  • Foreign nationals

  • All other potential exceptions as specified by the FEC

Best Efforts

1. Batching of exception contributions and contributions requiring Best Effort communications.

2. Creation and delivery of exception and Best Effort correspondence, as required by current FEC regulations, to donors.

3. Tracking and monitoring status for exception and Best Effort correspondence.

Processing & Recording Transactions

• Processing of reattributions and redesignations

• Processing special situation correspondence for partnerships, LLCs, PACs and other organizations

• Preparation of refund request lists

• Recording of refund, debit and chargeback adjustments

• Recording of in-kind contributions

• Donor contribution issue research

Data Clean-up & Account Reconciliation

• Automated and manual data hygiene processing of donor data to validate contact data and the merging of identifiable duplicate records

• Reconciling contribution revenue data to bank and merchant statements in preparation for FEC reporting

FEC Report Preparation

• Preparation and filing of required FEC reports including amendment reports

• Coordination and consultation with Treasury staff, senior advisors and legal counsel