The Federal Elections Commission announced this week that it fined the Kansas Republican Party $6,500 in February for violating campaign finance laws during the 2007-08 election cycle.

The FEC concluded that during that period, the Kansas GOP incorrectly reported receipts, disbursements and cash totals, and repeatedly overstated the amount of money it had, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

The agency said the state party also accepted an illegal $10,000 contribution from a limited liability company that was treated as a corporation for tax purposes.

The sanction comes after the 2010 elections in which Kansas Republicans won every statewide elected office, all congressional positions and also widened its majority in the Kansas House.

Kris Kobach, currently the Kansas secretary of state, led the Kansas GOP as party chairman at the time the violations occurred. He said he believes the flawed accounting was unintentional.

“The FEC imposed a relatively small penalty and that reflects the good work the party has done to improve bookkeeping,” Kobach said.

The Kansas party’s leadership has also agreed to implement internal business controls consistent with the FEC’s “best practice” management recommendations as part of the settlement.

State party officials negotiated the settlement with the FEC on Feb. 16, but documents marking the end of the case weren’t released until earlier this week after the Capital-Journal inquired about the matter.

An FEC spokeswoman did not explain the delay in releasing details of the settlement, the paper reported.

Clay Barker, executive director of the Kansas GOP, said the organization was “very pleased with the final resolution of this matter.”

In 2009, the FEC also imposed a $500 fine against the state Republican Party for failing to file a required monthly report.