Rep. Bill Orton, D-Utah, violated federal election law by not filing his latest campaign disclosure form on time, the Federal Election Commission said Wednesday.

Rules required Orton to file a disclosure form 12 days before the Democratic State Convention, which will be held Saturday. Orton still had not filed it on Wednesday."I was under the impression that since I have no Democratic opponent, I didn't have to file a disclosure form before the convention," Orton said.

But FEC spokesman Scott Moxley said, "He definitely had to file one."

Moxley added that the FEC sent Orton's campaign a notice on May 8 warning that it must file. When it received nothing by the deadline, the FEC sent Orton's campaign a mailgram warning it must file the form within four days or be cited.

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Orton said his campaign treasurer had been on vacation and did not pick up the mail until it was too late this week.

He added his campaign treasurer "has been on the phone with the FEC today. It should have the forms by tommorrow," Orton said Wednesday. Orton noted he has filed his other FEC quarterly disclosure forms on time.

Orton also questioned the value of the law requiring unopposed candidates to file before a nominating convention.

"The purpose of these forms is to show your opponants how much money you have . . . . What's the purpose if you have no opponant?"

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