FEC fines ex-Congressman Rodney Davis $43,475 for campaign finance violations

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Federal Election Commission has fined the campaign fund of a former Illinois congressman $43,475 for failing to repay excess contributions in a timely manner.

A letter from the FEC this month reported the fine against Republican Rodney Davis’ campaign committee, Rodney for Congress, and its treasurer, Thomas Charles Datwyler.

The violations occurred during the 2021-2022 election cycle. Federal campaign finance law prohibits contributions of more than $2,900 per cycle from an individual political committee or from a single candidate, and $5,000 per election from a multi-candidate committee. Overpayments must be refunded or redesignated within 60 days.

In a negotiated settlement with the Davis Commission and Datwyler, the FEC found that one contribution of $3,625 and general election contributions of $479,784 were not properly redistributed within 60 days, resulting in the fine. Davis was not eligible for the larger amount because he was not on the 2022 general election ballot.

A call to a phone number associated with Davis went unanswered. A telephone message was left for Datwyler.

The FEC noted that the commission disclosed refunds of excessive contributions in quarterly and year-end reports for 2022 and filed paperwork in January 2024 disclosing the refunds that were part of the negotiated settlement.

Davis, a 54-year-old resident of Taylorville, served five terms in Congress. Following the 2020 congressional redistricting controlled by Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly, Davis was thrust into a district with conservative Republican Mary Miller, who defeated Davis in the 2022 Republican primary with more than 57% of the vote .

Davis’ committee told the FEC that it would disband once the matter was resolved. The fine must be paid before July 18.