County official missed 3 deadlines but neither raised nor spent funds
By MONTY MILLER JR. - Denton Record-Chronicle - Wed., August 1, 2007
DENTON – County Commissioner Cynthia White was fined $600 for missing three deadlines to file required campaign finance documents, after a Denton County resident filed a complaint against her last month.
The Texas Ethics Commission assessed the fine last week.
"I have been very busy the last year and a half," Ms. White said. "I'll try not to let it happen again."
Dianne Edmondson, Denton County Republican Party chairwoman, said elected officials make mistakes like everyone else, but Ms. White should be more careful in the future.
"I think it must happen fairly often, although it shouldn't happen," she said.
Oak Point resident John Rademacher filed a complaint against Ms. White in late May.
Mr. Rademacher could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Ms. White, a Republican who is up for re-election next year, filed the missing documents with the Denton County Elections Administration in late May. The documents covered the period between Jan. 15, 2006, and Jan. 15, 2007, and showed that Ms. White had not accepted any contributions or spent any campaign money during that time.
"I didn't have any activity during that period, but I understand that I should have filed them," she said.
Texas law states that elected officials must file campaign finance reports twice a year, whether they raise money or not.
Ms. White said she paid the fine last week.
Tim Sorrels of the Texas Ethics Commission said he could not comment on the case.
Ms. White, of Aubrey, was first elected to the Commissioners Court in 2000.
She said she is running for re-election in 2008 and is raising funds for the campaign.
Read more in the Dallas Morning News
