- In 2021, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) sent Salazar letters warning her that her campaign finance reports were full of violations. The FEC found that Salazar had accepted excessive contributions above the legal limit and had failed to disclose the proper identifying information of her donors. In 2024, it was revealed that Salazar used the same campaign treasurer as George Santos and her committees had misreported campaign finance totals by $2 million. Three committees connected to Salazar were fined $22,800 after self-reporting the errors.
2021: The Federal Election Commission Sent Salazar Warning Letters For Excessive Campaign Contributions. According to the Florida Bulldog, "Miami Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar’s re-election committee has amassed $147,400 in illegal excessive campaign contributions for her primary, according to a pair of recent warning letters from the Federal Elections Commission. The over-the-legal-limit donations include $5,700 from Abelardo de la Espriella, a Colombian lawyer and U.S. permanent resident who up until two years ago was the criminal defense attorney for a fellow countryman targeted in a Colombian money-laundering probe involving ill-gotten government contracts in Venezuela. The FEC also flagged $5,700 which de la Espriella’s wife, Ana Lucia Pineda, donated to Salazar for Congress’s primary election. Both amounts are above the $2,900 federal cap each individual is allowed to give per election." [Florida Bulldog, 9/2/21]
- A Complaint Alleged Salazar Accepted Excessive Contributions Above The Legal Limit And Had Failed To Disclose The Proper Identifying Information Of Many Of Her Donors. According to the Florida Bulldog, "On July 14, the FEC’s five-member board unanimously voted to dismiss a complaint based on a recommendation by the commission’s general counsel that the inquiry represented a low- priority investigation. The complaint alleged that Salazar’s committee failed to disclose all the identifying information of its donors such as their occupations and employers, noting that one campaign report contained insufficient data on 133 contributions from 91 individuals totaling $283,200. In addition, Salazar’s campaign received excess contributions above the $2,900 limit per election and that the FEC had sent warning letters to the PAC about excessive contributions throughout the 2020 election cycle, the complaint states." [Florida Bulldog, 9/2/21]
- The FEC Complaint Was Dismissed After The Board Decided It Was A “Low-Priority Investigation.” According to the Florida Bulldog, "Salazar’s campaign received FEC warning letters on June 30 and Aug. 3. In between those letters, the FEC wrapped up an inquiry into a complaint alleging campaign finance violations during the November 2020 election by her PAC, according to records reviewed by Florida Bulldog. On July 14, the FEC’s five-member board unanimously voted to dismiss a complaint based on a recommendation by the commission’s general counsel that the inquiry represented a low- priority investigation." [Florida Bulldog, 9/2/21]
- HEADLINE: “FEC Slaps U.S. Rep. Salazar’s Campaign For Accepting Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars In Illegal Contributions” [Florida Bulldog, 9/2/21]
¶ salazar’s campaign treasurer was “reckless” and broke several laws while managing her money
2024: Salazar’s Campaign Treasurer, Who Also Worked For Disgraced Ex-Congressman George Santos, Was “Reckless In Carrying Out Her Duties” And Violated Federal Campaign Law. According to the Florida Bulldog, "In a rare case of a campaign treasurer being held personally liable for reporting violations, the Federal Election Commission has found that U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s treasurer was reckless in carrying out her duties. Nancy Marks, who was also campaign treasurer for disgraced ex-Rep. George Santos, R-NY, violated federal campaign law ‘by failing to deposit receipts into a campaign depository account and by failing to report and incorrectly reporting information regarding receipts, disbursements and cash on hand’ for the Miami Republican." [Florida Bulldog, 11/8/24]
- The Errors Led Salazar’s Leadership PAC And Her Joint Fundraising Committee To Misreport Their Cash On Hand By $2 Million In Various Quarterly Reports In 2021. According to the Florida Bulldog, "The errors led the Salazar campaign, Salazar’s leadership Freedom Force PAC and her joint fundraising committee Salazar Victory, to misreport their cash on hand by a whopping $2 million in various quarterly reports in 2021. Salazar defeated Democrat Annette Taddeo by about 35,000 votes in November 2022." [Florida Bulldog, 11/8/24]
¶ Salazar Was Fined $22,800 By The FEC For Reporting Errors And Misdeposited Checks
Three Committees Connected To Salazar Were Fined $22,800 By The FEC. According to the Florida Bulldog, "The FEC’s conciliation report made public in January states, ‘The committees contend that the reporting errors and misdeposited checks are attributable to the actions of their former treasurer, Nancy Marks.’ […] The three committees were fined a total of a relatively small amount, $22,800, likely because the Salazar campaign self-reported. The FEC has what’s known as a ‘Sua Sponte Submissions’ policy to encourage such self-reporting of violations. Under it, penalties can be cut up to 75 percent of what might otherwise be assessed." [Florida Bulldog, 11/8/24]