WASHINGTON — The House Clerk's Office has put Republican Michael Tenenbaum on notice that he has yet to file a required financial disclosure statement and that the matter could be referred to the House Ethics Committee for review unless he acts within days.

Tenenbaum, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly in Tuesday's GOP primary, conceded Friday he hasn't filed the necessary documents but said he intends to do so soon.

"They are going to be a little bit late, but I'm preparing them now," he said.

"Because of the press of the campaign, I haven't had a chance to do that, but they'll be in."

Congressional candidates are required by federal law to file statements listing their personal assets, sources of income and liabilities.

House candidates must file the documents with the House Clerk's Office within 30 days of raising or spending $5,000 during campaigns, or no later than May 15 of the calendar year in which they become candidates.

Gallegly, who's running for a 12th term, filed his financial disclosure statement more than a year ago. The three Democrats in the race — Mary Pallant of Oak Park, Jill Martinez of Oxnard and Marta Jorgensen of Solvang — also have filed the required statements.

Tenenbaum has filed campaign finance reports, which are submitted to a different federal agency. Those records show he raised more than $90,000 during the first three months of this year, far beyond the $5,000 threshold that triggers the filing of a personal financial disclosure statement.

House Clerk Lorraine Miller said Friday she sent Tenenbaum a letter on May 9 putting him on notice that he had yet to file the necessary paperwork.

The letter informed Tenenbaum he has 30 days to file the documents, or the matter could be turned over to the House ethics committee, Miller said.

"We have not heard back from him," Miller said.

A candidate who fails to file a financial disclosure statement can face a civil fine of up to $11,000.

Tenenbaum, a Harvard-educated lawyer from Thousand Oaks, said he would file the papers before the 30-day period is up "so I don't have to pay a fine, obviously."

"It's a personal financial disclosure; it has nothing to do with the issues in the campaign," he said.

"It's just a matter of the House rules."

However, he added, "We'll be making a full disclosure, and we'll be fully complying."

Tenenbaum said he always intended to file the paperwork, but "it's just taking me a little extra time to prepare that."

"It's like preparing your taxes," he said.

"I had to get an extension on my taxes because of the press of the campaign. I'm trying to motivate people to get out and vote, to obviously vote for me, and that is taking up every one of my waking moments. I'm obviously going to comply with every law that I'm required to comply with. It's just a matter of timing on it."

Tenenbaum, who has never held public office, ran unsuccessfully against Gallegly two years ago.

A search through House records on Friday also failed to turn up a financial disclosure statement for Tenenbaum for that race.

Asked whether he had filed a financial statement in 2006, Tenenbaum said he thought he had done so but would have to check his records to make sure.