L.L. Bean heiress in trouble for her pro-Trump PAC after her $60,000 contributions exceeded legal limits
- Federal regulators on Wednesday warned Linda Bean over political donations
- The L.L. Bean heiress founded the pro-Trump PAC Making Maine Great Again
- Her $60,000 donation to the group was well above the $5,000 limit, feds say
- Facing fines or an audit, the group took steps Friday to register as a super PAC
A pro-Trump political group founded by L.L. Bean heiress Linda Bean wants to switch its registration in order to raise unlimited funds, after federal regulators warned Bean that she had made excessive contributions to the group.
Bean's group, Making Maine Great Again, was limited to accepting individual contributions of $5,000 in a single year— and Bean contributed $60,000, according to a Wednesday letter from the Federal Election Commission obtained by the Associated Press.
The group spent $66,862 supporting Republican Donald Trump's presidential campaign in Maine, where the president-elect won one out of the state's four electoral votes.
The FEC letter says the group, known officially as Making America Great Again LLC, could face punitive action or an audit if it doesn't respond.
Trump supporter Linda Bean (right) is the granddaughter of L.L. Bean founder Leon Leonwood Bean. Her $60,00 donation to Making Maine Great Again drew a warning from federal regulators
The group on Friday took steps recommended by the FEC to change its registration to a super PAC that can raise unlimited funds.
During the election, the group spent its funds on signs, Facebook and radio advertisements, and 30-second TV ads in support of Trump.
Maine, unlike most states, awards presidential electoral votes by congressional district. Trump won enough support in the 2nd Congressional District to split Maine's electoral votes, taking one vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton's three.
Making Maine Great Again spent $66,862 in support of Trump in Main, where he secured one electoral vote
L.L. Bean's headquarters are in Freeport, which is part of the 1st Congressional District.
Bean's group told the FEC that it intends to raise unlimited funds as allowed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decision in SpeechNOW v. FEC, which created the 'super PAC' category by removing contribution limits on groups that only make independent expenditures and do not donate to candidates.
Making Main Great Again was registered as an independent expenditure group supporting one candidate, a type of group that is allowed to donate to campaigns, and which can only accept up to $5,000 in contributions from a person in a single year.
A spokesman for the FEC said it does not comment on such individual cases.
Bean, the granddaughter of L.L. Bean founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
She is a member of the retailer's board and runs a lobster company called Linda Bean's Lobster Dreams. She has previously run for Congress as a Republican and is a major donor for conservative causes.
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