The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declared Stein must follow the FEC order to repay $175,272 that was used to finance her campaign past the time those funds were eligible to be used.The FEC ordered Stein to pay over $175,000 in public financing funds to the Treasury in October 2021, requiring her to pay within 30 days.
The $134,900, plus the extra money Stein’s campaign had on hand after the presidential campaign, which was $40,372, make up the $175,272 the FEC demands from her. Under the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account Act,"all contributions received by an individual from the date he or she becomes a candidate and all federal matching payments received by the candidate shall be used only to defray qualified campaign expenses or to repay loans or otherwise restore funds."
Stein and her campaign committee, Jill Stein for President, filed a petition to review the order at the end of October 2021, claiming the cutoff point should have been the deadline for the Peace and Freedom Party nomination who submitted their nominations in mid-August 2016, which she was also seeking. Her lawyers argued she was permitted to use the taxpayer money because it went toward gaining ballot access in various states during the fall of 2016.