Two men who placed political advertisements in 2015 are facing fines for not registering their committees with the Carbon County Election Bureau.

According to letters dated Dec. 9, Duane Dellecker of Lehighton and Neal Kester of Bowmanstown have been fined $500 and $750 respectively.The action stems from advertisements Dellecker placed in the Times News on Oct. 28 under the organization "Taxpayers for Common Sense" and Kester placed on May 15 and 18 under the organization "Concerned Citizens of Lower Carbon County.""The Carbon County Election Bureau has no record of a committee being formed under these names or authorized by a candidate before the ads being placed," Lisa Dart, Elections Bureau director, said in the letter.The Election Code requires "every person other than a political committee or candidate who makes independent expenditures, other than by contributions to political committee or candidate, over $100 must file the same information required of a candidate or political committee," according to the letter.Dellecker and Kester said Thursday they had not received the letter."When I receive it, I'll refer it to my lawyer and go from there," Dellecker said. "It's a sad day for free speech. We never registered the committee. About a dozen of us got together and wanted to do something. Instead of listing a dozen names we just called ourselves something."Dellecker said he is represented by Sebelin Law Office in the matter."Hindsight is always 20/20, but I do find it interesting the media received a copy of the letter regarding the fines before I did," Dellecker added. "That just goes to show how political this is."Dellecker lost a bid for county commissioner in May's primary election to incumbent Republicans Thomas J. Gerhard and Wayne Nothstein.The "Taxpayers for Common Sense" advertisement supported Rocky Ahner, a Democratic commissioner candidate in the general election, and made several comments about Gerhard.In an Oct. 30 Times News article, Ahner said he didn't know about the advertisement or approve it.Kester's advertisements were also in opposition to Gerhard, Nothstein and fellow incumbent Commissioner William O'Gurek."I had no idea I had to register before running an advertisement," Kester said. "Nobody told me that. I didn't do anything wrong."As to the fine, Kester hadn't made a decision how he would handle it."I didn't even get the letter yet," he said. "I don't understand it. It's just my opinion."Dart said the fines assessed to Dellecker and Kester must be paid within 10 days of the correspondence."Failure to do so will result in the election bureau pursuing all remedies available by law," she added.