Federal Election Commission Compliance
You run the campaign. We keep you out of prison.
Campaign finance violations carry up to 5 years in federal prison and $50,000+ in fines. Cursus Victoria delivers end-to-end FEC compliance so you never hear from the Commission — except to confirm your reports were accepted.
The cost of non-compliance
One mistake can end a political career.
The FEC doesn't care about your intentions. "Knowingly and willfully" is a lower bar than you think. Campaigns are investigated, fined, and referred for criminal prosecution every cycle. Here's what's at stake:
Federal Prison
Criminal violations of FECA for aggregate amounts exceeding $25,000 carry felony charges and up to five years of incarceration.
Per Violation Fines
Criminal fines can reach $50,000 or more per violation. Civil penalties are assessed on top of any criminal sanctions.
Campaign Ban
Civil FECA convictions can result in being permanently barred from engaging in any campaign activity.
Penalty Multipliers
Straw donor violations trigger fines of 300% to 1,000% of the illegal amount.
FEC Audits
The FEC audits almost every presidential committee and many congressional ones. Random selection means no one is safe.
Permanent Exposure
All enforcement cases, MURs, and penalties become public record 30 days after case closure.
"Filing a false campaign finance report to the FEC is a federal crime. U.S. campaign laws are so complex that many campaigns violate them without even realizing it."
— Federal Election Campaign Act, 52 U.S.C. Chapter 301
Without vs. With Cursus Victoria
The difference is everything.
FEC Audit Outcome
Repayment demands, public penalties, career damage
Clean audit closure
Zero findings
Contribution Errors
Impermissible donations discovered by the FEC months later
Caught early
Refunded within 10 days of discovery
Filing Deadlines
Missed deadlines → automatic fines → escalating penalties
18-month rolling calendar
Filed early every time
Coordination Violations
Criminal referral to DOJ, up to 5 years imprisonment
Written firewall policies
Trained staff, zero exposure
Public Communications
Disclaimer violations → MUR complaints → legal fees
Every ad reviewed
Approved before it goes live
Full-spectrum FEC compliance
Nine pillars of protection.
From committee formation to campaign wind-down, Cursus Victoria handles every dimension of FEC compliance. Open any service to see exactly what's included.
01 Committee Formation & Registration
We build your campaign's legal architecture from day one — FEC registration, banking, accounting systems, and officer agreements.
- Draft and file FEC Form 1 (Statement of Organization) for all committees
- Structure treasurer agreements with clear personal liability provisions
- Configure campaign accounting systems aligned to FEC Schedule A/B/C categories
- Conduct foreign-national screenings and background checks on early donors and vendors
- Obtain EIN, establish compliant banking relationships, and designate custodian of records
02 Contribution Compliance & Intake
Every dollar that enters your campaign is screened, verified, and documented against federal limits — every single day, without exception.
- Daily legal-source verification on every incoming receipt (individual, LLC, PAC, party)
- Real-time aggregate tracking across the full election cycle with $500-threshold alerts
- Redesignation and reattribution processing for married couples and excess contributions
- Earmarked contribution verification and conduit reporting within 10-day windows
- In-kind contribution valuation at fair market value with dual-entry booking
- 10-day refund protocol for impermissible contributions with auditable refund logs
03 Expenditure Review & Disbursement Control
Nothing leaves your campaign account without compliance sign-off. We are the gatekeeper between your funds and an FEC enforcement action.
- Invoice review against bona fide campaign purpose standards
- Personal use prohibition enforcement under 11 C.F.R. § 113.1(g)
- Travel allocation calculations using FEC-approved comparable airfare methods
- Three-touch recordkeeping for all disbursements over $200
- Related-party transaction documentation and arm's-length verification
04 FEC Reporting & Filing
We prepare or supervise every FEC filing — quarterly, monthly, pre-election, post-election, year-end — reconciled to the penny and filed on time, every time.
- Form 3 preparation with complete Schedules A through H
- Line-item reconciliation against bank statements and internal books
- Summary Page, Detailed Summary Page, and electronic validation reports
- 18-month rolling deadline calendar with 30/15/5/3/1-day color-coded alerts
- Electronic filing with timestamp confirmation and archival
05 Communications & Disclaimer Compliance
Every ad, email, mailer, and digital communication is reviewed for proper disclaimer language before it goes live — protecting you from costly MUR complaints.
- Disclaimer drafting under 52 U.S.C. § 30120 and 11 C.F.R. § 110.11
- Platform-specific compliance for Meta, Google, X, and YouTube
- Maintained disclaimer library for every ad creative and iteration
- Electioneering communications review using safe-harbor language protocols
06 Coordination Firewalling & IE Compliance
The highest-risk area in campaign finance. We build and enforce the walls between your campaign and outside groups to prevent catastrophic violations.
- Written no-coordination policies with staff-wide training and certification
- Coordinated party expenditure calculations based on voting-age population
- Independent expenditure reporting (Form 5 and 24-hour notices)
- Super PAC and 501(c) interaction protocols and documentation
07 Staff Training & Compliance Infrastructure
Your team is your first line of defense. We train them quarterly and build the internal systems that prevent violations before they happen.
- Mandatory quarterly compliance training for all finance, digital, and field staff
- 60–100 page internal Compliance Manual customized to your campaign
- Custodian-of-records system — digital and physical — with 48-hour production capability
- Compliance dashboard: cash on hand, debt, contribution limits, and filing deadlines
08 Audit Defense & Enforcement Response
When the FEC comes knocking — and they will — we stand between you and the Commission. We've negotiated dozens of conciliation agreements and kept penalties to their absolute minimum.
- Single point of contact for random and targeted FEC audits
- Audit response binder preparation and interim audit report responses
- MUR complaint response drafting, affidavit gathering, and settlement negotiation
- Repayment determination negotiations and conciliation agreements
09 Special Situations & Advisory
Candidate loans, joint fundraising, campaign wind-down, recount funds — every edge case handled with precision.
- Candidate personal funds documentation and loan repayment tracking
- Joint Fundraising Committee agreements and pro-rata allocation
- Campaign-to-officeholder transitions, surplus transfers, and 527 interactions
- Recount and contest fund administration
- FEC Advisory Opinion request drafting for novel legal issues
The promise
"Your report
has been accepted."
You have enough on your plate. Let us handle the FEC. When we do our job perfectly, you never hear from the Commission except for that one email. That's the goal. That's the promise.
Frequently asked
How quickly can Cursus Victoria get a new campaign compliant?
We can have your committee fully registered, your accounting systems configured, and your compliance infrastructure operational within 72 hours of engagement. Most campaigns come to us either at formation or after realizing their current setup has gaps — either way, we move fast.
What types of campaigns do you work with?
Federal candidates — Congressional, Senate, and Presidential. We also advise PACs, Super PACs, joint fundraising committees, and party committees on FEC compliance. If the FEC has jurisdiction, we have you covered.
Can you take over mid-cycle from another compliance provider?
Absolutely. We conduct a full compliance audit of your existing filings, identify gaps or errors, file amendments as needed, and take over ongoing operations seamlessly. Many of our clients come to us mid-cycle after discovering problems with their previous setup.
What happens if we've already made a mistake?
That's exactly when you need us most. We assess the situation, determine the best remediation strategy — whether that's amended filings, voluntary self-reporting, or preparing for an enforcement response — and we execute immediately. Early intervention dramatically reduces penalties.
How are your fees structured?
We offer monthly retainers scaled to campaign size and cycle phase, as well as project-based engagements for audits, remediation, and enforcement defense. Contact us for a confidential consultation.