The Committee for High Standards, Not High Stakes, which played a pivotal role in successfully campaigning to eliminate the MCAS as a high school graduation requirement, has agreed to a $4,000 penalty. This fine resolves allegations regarding the committee’s failure to timely report $2.3 million in contributions ahead of the November 2024 election.
The dispute between the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and various business groups regarding the future of the MCAS has emerged as the costliest ballot question confrontation in Massachusetts during the 2024 election cycle. Tens of millions of dollars circulated between both parties involved, as documented by state records.
According to campaign finance regulators, the committee, supported primarily by the MTA, neglected to disclose $800,000 in monetary donations and more than $1.5 million in in-kind contributions in the critical pre-election period.
William Campbell, the Director of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, noted in a June 24 letter that while the committee subsequently reported these contributions accurately in its November 5th filing, it failed to submit the necessary late contribution reports during a pivotal timeframe. Campbell emphasized that this oversight hindered the public’s interest in obtaining accurate and timely information regarding campaign finance activities.
In a response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Teachers Association clarified that the ballot question committee amended its late-October finance report upon discovering the missing contributions.
The spokesperson stated, “The amended filing was subject to a fine for being late. The committee paid the fine.” This incident raises questions about the adherence to regulation by campaign committees, particularly during periods of heightened financial activity leading up to an election.
For ballot question committees, state regulations dictate that any contributions exceeding $500 during the so-called “late contribution reporting period,” which spanned from October 19 to November 1 in 2024, must be reported to the regulatory authorities.
These late reports serve to track the substantial funds being exchanged in the lead-up to elections as both advocates and detractors aim to influence voter opinions through last-minute campaigning efforts.
Regulators indicated that the Committee for High Standards, Not High Stakes recorded a series of contributions during this late reporting timeline but did not disclose 11 contributions totaling $2.3 million until the mandated report on Election Day.
Campbell’s letter highlighted the importance of immediate disclosure for contributions, asserting that the receipt and utilization of these late contributions should have been documented within 72 hours. He noted this failure resulted in the necessity for at least four additional reports that should have been submitted in compliance with the law.
The Committee for High Standards, Not High Stakes reported a significant expenditure of $950,000 across the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 in support of the ballot question. They received more than $15.6 million in in-kind contributions for goods and services, as indicated by state data.
Conversely, opponents of the measure, represented mainly by business entities through the Protect Our Kids’ Future ballot question committee, incurred costs totaling $5.3 million in 2025 and 2024, along with an additional $93,763 in in-kind contributions from 2023, as noted in the state records.
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