Three candidates on the May primary ballot have yet to file their 2014 campaign finance reports and were among 16 to receive fines this week from the Lake County Board of Elections.
Juda S. Parks and Louis Vasquez III, both Democrats, and candidates for East Chicago City Council at-large seats, have yet to file their 2014 campaign finance reports that were due Jan. 21, according to a report provided by the elections board.
This is the sixth time Parks has failed to file his report and the fifth time Vasquez has failed to do so. Officials fined Parks $300. He now owes the county elections board $975 in outstanding fines. Vasquez was fined $250 on top of $475 in outstanding fines for a new total of $725.
Hammond City Council at-large candidate Antonio Daggett Sr., a Democrat, also has yet to file his 2014 campaign finance report. This is the second time Daggett has been late. He was fined $100 and has no outstanding balance.
Merrillville Town Council candidate Roxanne Lamarca, a Democrat, was also fined after being late filing her report. Lamarca filed the report 14 days late. She was fined $75 for being late for the third time. Lamarca has $225 in unpaid fines.
On the other side of the aisle, Republican Thomas Cavanaugh, of the St. John Township Advisory Board, was fined $250 for failing to file a 2014 campaign finance report. It is the fifth time Cavanaugh has been late and the report is still not filed. He is not running for office this year. He has an outstanding balance of $250 in unpaid fines.
Election board members dismissed fines levied against nine candidates who filed their reports late after they either wrote a letter explaining the tardiness or appearing before the board. Fines imposed on other candidates, most first- and second-time offenders, ranged from $20 to $100.
Pre-primary campaign finance reports are due at noon Friday. Late reports will trigger another round of fines.
Carrie Napoleon is a frelance reporter.
