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THE FACTS…California Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) has reportedly been charged with a $68,000 fine from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) due to alleged financial misconduct by her 2020 campaign committee. The FEC reportedly found that the committee failed to report contributions accurately, accepted excessive contributions, and made unlawful cash disbursements. The Citizens for Waters campaign will pay the fine and send its treasurer to mandatory training. The FEC stated that Citizens for Waters "made four prohibited cash disbursements that were each in excess of $100, totaling $7,000." The FEC also noted that Waters' campaign was guilty of "failing to accurately report receipts and disbursements in calendar year 2020." The committee allegedly accepted donations from seven individuals that exceeded legal limits. The FEC dismissed a previous allegation of illegal contributions from 2018 in a 5-1 vote. The FEC document stated, "Respondent shall submit evidence of the required registration and attendance at such event to the Commission." Yes, California Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) and her 2020 campaign committee, Citizens for Waters, were fined $68,000 by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for violations of campaign finance laws. The FEC investigation found that the committee committed several infractions during the 2020 election cycle, including: 1. Failing to accurately report receipts and disbursements: The campaign understated receipts by $262,391 and disbursements by $256,154 in 2020. 2. Accepting excessive contributions: The committee accepted $19,000 in contributions from seven individuals, exceeding the legal individual contribution limit of $2,800. 3. Making prohibited cash disbursements: The campaign made four cash disbursements totaling $7,000, each exceeding the $100 limit allowed by FEC regulations. The campaign agreed to pay the $68,000 fine to avoid a court battle and committed to sending its treasurer to a Commission-sponsored training program for political committees. The campaign’s attorney, Leilani Beaver, stated that the violations were not willful or purposeful, attributing the errors to limited staff availability and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign also amended its reports to correct financial misstatements and refunded or disgorged the excessive contributions, though in an untimely manner. The FEC’s decision was unanimous, with a 4-0 vote on April 29, 2025, just before the agency temporarily lost its quorum due to a commissioner’s departure. While some sources and posts on X describe the violations as “major” or suggest guilt, the campaign maintained that the errors were accidental, and the FEC agreement was a conciliation to avoid litigation, not an admission of intentional wrongdoing.