FEC dismisses GOP ethics complaint against 2014 House candidate

The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint filed by the head of the Kansas Republican Party against one-time U.S. House candidate Kelly Kultala’s campaign committee.

In April Clay Barker, director of the Kansas GOP, claimed Kultala had transferred $1,000 from her state Senate committee to her congressional campaign committee. Barker contended the transfer was illegal.

In a ruling announced Friday, the FEC said it had dismissed the complaint.

“The Commission exercised its prosecutorial discretion and dismissed the matter,” a release said. “The Commission observed that the amount of the alleged contribution was de minimis and was promptly refunded.”

Kultala lost her race to U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, a Republican, in 2014. Former Kansas City Kan. Mayor Carol Marinovich was Kultala’s treasurer.

Barker also said he would file a complaint with the Kansas Ethics Commission. It isn’t clear what happened to that complaint.