Mike Braun’s Senate campaign will be fined $138,000 for financial infractions

Indianapolis, Indiana – Sen. Mike Braun’s campaign committee was hit with a sizable charge by the Federal Election Commission this week for financial breaches from 2018.

By a vote of 6-0, the commission approved the agreement, which stipulates a $159,000 penalty.

Reports on Friday afternoon revealed the news, which Forbes described as the second-highest fine ever levied against a senatorial campaign.

Braun is amidst a six-candidate field vying for the Republican nomination for Indiana governor.

According to the agreement, Mike Braun for Indiana misrepresented loan terms, amounts, dates, and amounts owed for three bank loans, thirteen credit lines, and thirteen candidate loans, with a total transaction value of $11.5 million.

The action took place between July 2017 and December 2018.

“The Committee contends that its former treasurer, Travis Kabrick, was responsible for these reporting errors and that he had access to all relevant information and documents from the Committee to properly report these loans. The Committee further contends that its former Treasurer publicly disclosed information regarding the bank loans, which were legal and proper, but the Treasurer made errors regarding how they were reported on the Committee’s campaign finance reports. The Committee further contends that the reporting errors were technical,” the settlement said.

According to Josh Kelley, senior adviser for Braun for Indiana, the deal makes it obvious that the mistakes were made by the outgoing treasurer.

“(Kabrick) was provided all relevant information and documents from Mike Braun to properly report the loans, all loans were legal and proper, all the details were made public throughout the campaign, and the reporting errors by Mr. Kabrick were technical in nature. It is clear from the agreement this penalty should be paid for by Mr. Kabrick’s third-party compliance team responsible for the reporting errors,” Kelley said.

In a statement, Thomas Datwyler, Mike Braun’s current treasurer for Indiana, said, “Mr. Kabrick’s reporting on the Committee’s campaign finance reports was technically flawed, although the underlying bank loans were legally and properly disclosed, despite having full access to all necessary information and documents.”

“We are committed to ensuring full compliance and transparency in all future financial reporting.”