Ohio-based Murray Energy has agreed to pay the Federal Election Commission a $5,000 penalty for failing to put disclosures on anti-Obama signs it distributed to employees before the 2012 election to show the signs were paid for by the company.
According to the election commission, between July and October of 2012, Murray Energy paid roughly $22,000 for 4,708 yard signs and banners that said “STOP the WAR on COAL – FIRE OBAMA.”
A Democrat-leaning group – Progress Ohio – complained the signs violated campaign laws because they expressly advocated Obama’s defeat without including the required disclaimers. Murray Energy said it didn’t know disclaimers were needed and said it stopped distributing the signs when it learned of the requirement.