Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign pays $14,500 to fix complaint

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign has paid a $14,500 civil penalty to the Federal Election Commission to settle a complaint the campaign improperly accepted the services of volunteers from Australia.

The agreement between the campaign and the commission that was finalized last month says the Bernie 2016 campaign accepted the services of volunteers from the Australia Labor Party, which paid the volunteers’ expenses and a stipend.

Federal election law prohibits any foreign national from donating anything of value in U.S. elections.

A statement issued by Bernie 2016 says the people on the campaign managing volunteers did not believe the stipend being paid to the seven Australians disqualified them. The campaign settled the complaint in order to avoid an expensive fight, but did not agree it broke any rules.