Marco Rubio Campaign Fined For Improper Contributions

US Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fl, speaks during a seminar on 'Is the American World Order Sustainable and Necessary in the 21st Century?' at the Brooking Institution in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2012. (JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON -- The Senate campaign of Florida Republican Marco Rubio has agreed to pay an $8,000 fine for accepting slightly more than $210,000 in improper contributions.

Considered a top candidate for the vice presidential spot on the Republican ticket this fall, Rubio won his Senate seat from Florida in 2010 in a race against independent candidate Charlie Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek.

In a settlement with the Federal Election Commission, the Rubio campaign acknowledged receiving the improper contributions and paying a civil penalty of $8,000. The FEC describes the $210,000 as "prohibited, excessive and other impermissible contributions."

The FEC and the Rubio campaign reached the agreement in March. The release of the information on the FEC website was first reported Friday by Politico.

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Comments

[janelucy]

01:31 PM on 06/16/2012

Why is Rubio allowed to get away with this? John Edwards was taken to court?

[marciano540]

07:20 AM on 06/09/2012

This Rubio is giving the Mormon a black eye.

[judyrobin]

03:34 PM on 05/07/2012

So, he takes in 210,000 and pays out $8000. Why should they follow the law?

[montanason]

09:04 PM on 05/01/2012

Apparently this has a bipartisan commonality associated with it-the list
also includes Biden, Libermann, Frist, and Al Sharpton- speaks to me of
a need for people to hold those they vote for accountable regardless of party
and forget about soundbites.
"it looks bad" ? Yeah I'd say so-it also reeks of an arrogance politicians
seem to have.

[shewolf2002]

12:53 PM on 05/01/2012

I wonder how long it will be until Marco becomes a "refugee" from office...

[Puzzlr]

12:51 PM on 05/01/2012

This is a real issue. But instead the republicans want us to concentrate on whether or not a woman from Oklahoma has Native American blood. Oklahoma!!

[abscs2000]

12:26 PM on 05/01/2012

Buh- bye Marco.

[CanuckforamultipartyUSA]

11:25 AM on 05/01/2012

this is probably why he's been saying no to the VP slot....

[Exadyne]

09:35 AM on 05/01/2012

FYI, for everyone thinking he kept the other $202,000, he didn't. He actually had already paid back $61,000 of it by the start of hearings on the matter, but hadn't reported timely on it.
So yes, the agency isn't as foolish as people assume, politicians don't get to pay a fine and keep the rest.
http://eqs.nictusa.com/eqsdocsADR/12190292262.pdf

[satyrday]

11:00 AM on 05/01/2012

210k is probably a tiny fraction of his improper contributions. He's not sweating the fine at all, nor changing his fundraising.

[shewolf2002]

12:52 PM on 05/01/2012

Thanks for that. But why do I have the sinking feeling that the $210,000 was only the tip of the iceberg?

[Exadyne]

01:26 PM on 05/01/2012

The name Marco Rubio in the headline might be part of that feeling.

[LeftistGuerrilla]

05:30 AM on 05/01/2012

I can't put my finger on it, but I think I hate this guy. Just looking at him I get this sensation of hatred. I can't wait until this guy goes to federal prison.

[catbyte]

11:12 AM on 05/01/2012

I think Rubio should put any national political ambitions he has to bed. This guy lied about his family's immigration from Cuba--what could be worse? The Cubans have it made as it is--as long as they manage to step foot on American soil, *TA DA* they have a green card. How can some poor guy from El Salvador relate to that? Not only that, his family came here while Batista was still in power. Fleeing Communism....mmmmmm....not so much. They even thought about moving back to Cuba once Castro took power.

Lame, lame, lame.

[David Faisel]

12:39 PM on 05/02/2012

I don't hate him, but he is a PHONEY. If he is choose as VP, Latinos are supposed blindly to vote for Romney because Rubio is on the ticket.

[oldwhitefemdem]

10:53 PM on 04/30/2012

Let's see - the FEC is trying John Edwards for crimes that could land him in prison for 30 years - I'm no apologist for Edwards, but seriously? FEC, fines Rubio $8,000.00 for a $210,000.00 donation. He only netted $202,000.00. He'll never do that again. Well, not until next time. Wow.

[GlobalGramma]

07:23 PM on 04/30/2012

So, somebody explain to me....$210K in contribution, $8k fine...does that mean he keeps the $202K excess? Does he have to return it? If not, what is the point of the law? Who wouldn't risk being caught if that is the only consequence?

[Maxine]

01:28 AM on 05/01/2012

I think they call that a "kickback" or "payola." It's okay as long as the FEC gets its share.

[kywst09]

07:10 PM on 04/30/2012

Oh well, Rubio's dream act was to get a lot of illegal cash.

[l78lancer]

06:36 PM on 04/30/2012

Rubio is still a clown and an amateur, but the FEC is to blame for the $8k slap on the wrist.

[l78lancer]

06:32 PM on 04/30/2012

FEC = Feckless Election Cowards