Two former candidates for the Virgin Islands Legislature and a prospective candidate for delegate to Congress have asked a federal judge to weigh in on whether the territory’s political parties are required to disclose contributions and spending.
In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court Monday, Collister Fahie, Lorelai Monsanto and Shelley Moorhead describe making multiple public records requests related to the territory’s 2024 Democratic and Republican Party primaries, including requests for any campaign finance reports the parties submitted to the V.I. Elections System.
“In written correspondence responding to these requests, the Supervisor of Elections stated that the Elections System maintains none of the requested campaign disclosure documents and that no political party has filed campaign disclosure reports with the office for over twenty (20) years,” according to the complaint, which named the V.I. Elections Board and Elections Supervisor Caroline Fawkes as defendants.
The heart of the complaint appears to be a section of local elections law which defines “committee” or “political committee” as “any committee, club, association, or other group of persons which receives contributions or makes expenditures during any calendar year in an aggregate amount exceeding $1,000.” Under the V.I. Code, such committees are required to submit financial reports — including contributions and expenditures — to the Elections System every six months.
Moorhead, Fahie and Monsanto asked the court to declare that territorial political parties meet that definition of “committee” and to compel elections officials to maintain parties’ disclosures while also making them publicly available.
