Cedar Park PAC Must Pay $500 Fine For Not Filing Campaign Finance Report

CEDAR PARK, TX -- A political action committee backing two local council candidates must pay a $500 fine for filing a late financial report, according to a published report.

Mitch Fuller, treasurer of the Citizens for Sensible Growth Political Action Committee, told the Austin American-Statesman he made a mistake in thinking he wasn't required to file campaign finance reports until July.

The Texas Ethics Commission said otherwise, and a report should have bveen filed by Friday of last week.

Council candidate Cobby Caputo had been critical of the PAC previously. According to the Statesman, Caputo has charged the PAC was illegally participation in the election by virtue of the unfiled finance report.

"We don't know where their money came from," Caputo told the newspaper. "it's a dark money PAC in a city election that is flaunting campaign finance transparency laws."

Ethics commission officials said a 30-day campaign finance report had been due April 7.

The PAC has donated $10,000 to Cedar Park City Council candidate Kaden Norton (who is running against Caputo for the Place 4 seat) and $9,000 to council candidate Maria Talamo. The latter is running against council incumbent Kristyne Bollier for Place 6.