Mel Martinez repeatedly violated federal election law during his 2004 campaign

by: Tampabay Democrat

Wed Apr 25, 2007 at 07:30:54 AM EDT

Researched for more than a year, the FEC audit details four violations committed by Martinez during a campaign that raised about $12 million to narrowly defeat Democrat Betty Castor.

Whether the FEC findings would lead to civil penalties is unknown. In the audit, the commission notes it could "initiate an enforcement action, at a later time, to any of the matters discussed in this report."

The FEC found that the "Martinez for Senate" committee accepted more than $300,000 in donations that exceeded legal limits. Most of these 186 violations were the result of improper filing.

The audit also said Martinez did not properly disclose proceeds from fundraising efforts with other politicians and did not keep complete records on the identity of many contributors.

His campaign released a statement that said Martinez had learned from the mistakes and would adjust for the future.