gchildress@heraldsun.com; 918-1046
Chapel Hill -- Former Town Councilman Cam Hill made good on his pledge Wednesday to register his political action committee with the Orange County Board of Elections.
Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams confirmed that Hill came into the office Wednesday afternoon to fill out the appropriate paperwork to register the one man PAC he named Chapel Hill Caucus -- or, CHC PAC.
Hill had until the end of the day Wednesday to register the PAC or run afoul of state election laws requiring PACs to register with the appropriate elections board within 10 days after forming, accepting money or spending money.
He sent out a political postcard last week announcing his support for Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt's candidacy for mayor. The postcard was critical of Kleinschmidt's chief mayoral opponent, Councilman Matt Czajkowski.
Kleinschmidt defeated Czajkowski in a closely contested race whose outcome remained in doubt until the last precinct reported. Czajkowski remains on the Town Council.
The postcard initially raised questions about whether the sender, unknown at the time the postcard was delivered to homes, had broken the law because there was no record of a CHC PAC being registered with the state or Orange County boards of elections.
Hill remedied that problem Wednesday, but now must address the issue of the postcard not stating whether Kleinschmidt endorsed it, which is required under state's election laws.
Amy Strange, a compliance specialist with the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said Hill must right the situation by notifying the recipients of the postcard that it should have included a line stating that it was not endorsed by Kleinschmidt.
"We ask them to address the same audience that was addressed in the original mailing," Strange said.
In most cases, Strange said people who run afoul of that law meet the board's demand by taking out ads in local newspapers stating that candidates did not endorse their mailers.
Strange said the ad should be placed in the paper as soon as possible, usually the day after the person who has violated the law has spoken to election officials.
The offender must also sign a statement of understanding which indicates that they have read the law, understand it and will comply with it in the future, she said.
That hadn't happened as of Wednesday afternoon.
