Ashcroft Campaign Is Fined

The Federal Election Commission has determined that Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft’s unsuccessful 2000 Senate reelection campaign violated federal election laws by accepting $110,000 in illegal contributions from a committee Ashcroft had established to explore running for president.

In documents released Tuesday by the FEC, Garrett M. Lott, treasurer for the two Ashcroft committees, the Spirit of America PAC and Ashcroft 2000, agreed to pay a $37,000 fine for at least four violations of federal campaign law. Lott agreed not to contest the charges.

“Spirit of America PAC and Ashcroft 2000, respectively, violated the [law] by making and receiving this excessive contribution. Additionally, Spirit of America PAC and Ashcroft 2000, respectively, violated the [law] by failing to disclose the making or receipt of the excessive contribution,” the FEC said in a statement.

The FEC vote was 5-1, and the one dissenter sought harsher penalties and tougher findings.

The three Republican members of the commission joined two of the Democrats in voting for the penalties.

But two Republicans members, David M. Mason and Michael E. Toner, played down the significance of the findings, saying it was “a garden variety complaint ... blown far out of proportion .... “The dissenter, Ellen L. Weintraub, the third Democrat on the commission, said, “The [$37,000] penalty ... is so low that I do not believe it adequately reflects the severity of the conduct at issue.”

A spokesman for the Department of Justice declined to comment. Lott, contacted by phone at his St. Louis law offices, also declined to comment.

After serving one term in the Senate from Missouri, Ashcroft, a former governor, considered running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. But with then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush the overwhelming favorite to win the nomination, Ashcroft decided to run for reelection instead. But his Democratic opponent, Mel Carnahan, who had been killed in a plane crash during the campaign, received more votes. His wife, Jean Carnahan was then appointed to take his place.