2Q 2011 FEC Reports

I’m still playing catch up with the quarterly FEC Reports.  This post covers the 2^nd quarter 2011, April – June.

You can browse these reports yourself at http://www.fec.gov/.  As always I apologize in advance for any errors or misinterpretations.  I am neither a lawyer nor an accountant, just an interested observer and these thoughts should be taken as such. 

Watch the itemized (over $250 donations), unitemized (smaller donations), and PAC ratios.  Generally, you will find unitemized to be about 10% the amount of itemized and PAC’s either a half or quarter the amount of the itemized donations., at least for incumbents.  In open races or in challenger’s reports, there are usually fewer PAC donations.  They like to stick with people they are fairly certain are going to win. 

Just about everyone posted reports in alphabetical order, which makes them easier to deal with.  My thanks to those preparing the reports for that.

6^th Congressional District 

Manan Trivedi, Democrat  

Receipts

Total of Contributions from Individuals 0.00  / 1,109.87

Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, etc.): 0.00  / 1,635.05

Total Receipts: 0.00 / 2,744.92

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures: 113.05 / 60,318.48

Other Disbursements: 250.00 / 750.00

Total Disbursements: 363.05 / 61,068.48

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 22,167.20
Total Receipts  0.00
Total Disbursements   363.05

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  21,804.15

Dr. Trivedi paid for a cell phone and gave $250 to Andy Toy’s city council campaign.

Jim Gerlach, incumbent Republican

Receipts

Itemized  136,200.00

Unitemized 5,602.00

Total of Contributions from Individuals 141,802.00 / 227,698.00 

PACs  190,593.17 / 336,801.84

Total Contributions: 332,395.17 / 564,499.84

Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, etc.):  7,839.28 / 8,482.55

Other Receipts:  502.581 / 168.57

Total Receipts:  340,737.03 / 574,150.96

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures: 103,278.20 / 295,712.58

Other Disbursements: 3,510.00 / 4,3160.00

Total Disbursements: 106,788.20 / 338,872.58

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 237,775.33
Total Receipts  340,737.03
Total Disbursements  106,788.20

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  471,724.16

In this quarter four more people maxed out their donations for the entire election cycle; another 10 donated $2500, the maximum for the primary election.  Of the over 150 donations, about 35 came from out of state.  One of his donors is former congressman Phil English.  Occupational clusters include doctors, lawyers, ceos.  Among them was a metals broker.  In PAC donations there were clusters in health, construction, banks, and insurance.  At least three Republican PACS, Freedom Project, Tuesday Morning PAC, and the GOP Mainstreet PAC, donated.  In disbursements there are some hefty consultant payments.  One DC fundraising firm was paid $32K, another fundraising firm in PA was paid $22K, an individual fundraiser was paid $5K.  The campaign paid $1687 for golf shirts.  There are no payments for rent so the congressman might not have a campaign office open yet.  Congressman Gerlach is either very generous or very confident, he sent $500.00 to a congressional candidate in New Jersey named Lobiondo.  Most candidates keep their political donations not only in state but in district, such as Gerlach’s $2500 donation to the Republican Committee of Chester County.

7th Congressional District

Pat Meehan, Republican

Receipts

Itemized  151,650.00

Unitemized 4,942.77

Total of Contributions from Individuals 156,592.77 / 394,772.77

Other Political Committees 0.00 / 1,600.00

PACs  253,750.00 / 382,500.00

Total Contributions 410,342.77 / 778,872.77

Transfers from Other Authorized Committees: 20,849.80 / 25,069.40

Other Receipts:  5.29 / 471.29

Total Receipts: 431,197.86 / 804,413.46

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures: 117,083.83 / 493,090.25

Contribution Refunds:  3,000.00 / 11,000.00

Total Disbursements: 120,083.83 / 504,090.25

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 316,486.97
Total Receipts  431,197.86
Total Disbursements 120,083.83

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 627,601.00

Four more donors have maxed out $5,000 and cannot donate more during this election season.  Local moneyman and power broker Vahan is one of them; another shares his address.  An additional 16 people have donated $2500, the maximum for the primary election.  Five people have donated a total greater than $2500 and less than $5000.  Around 16 donors were from out of state.  In PACs there are clusters for health care, banks, and construction.  There are also a lot of political PACs, the Liberty Project, Longhorn PAC, Republican Mainstream Partnership PAC, Freedom Project ($10K), Tuesday Group, Great 8 Committee, Majority Victory Fund, PA+5 Committee, Patriot Day 2011, and a PAC associated with Darryl Issa.  In disbursements, the campaign paid nearly $20K for advertising consulting, nearly $7 in legal services, rent, $7K to Impact Strategies, $2K to Majority Victory Fund, $14K for accounting, $2K to the Montgomery County GOP for printing, $15K to a fundraising firm.  There are payments to three different phone companies.  There are multiple identical payments Virgin Mobile on the same day which would indicate either the software burped or there will be an amendment forthcoming.  One of the payments to Verizon Wireless is for $1746 which seems overly large.   There is also a late fee for a credit card payment. 

8^th Congressional District

Mike Fitzpatrick, Republican

Receipts

Itemized  176,234.61

Unitemized 8,498.00

Total of Contributions from Individuals 184,732.61 / 342,471.61

Political Party Committees:  0.00 / 1,000.00

PACs   225,054.42 / 374,431.30

Total Contributions:  409,787.03 / 717,902.91

Transfers from Authorized Committees:  16,404.51 / 16,404.51

Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, etc.): 0.00 / 256.30

Other Receipts: 18.90 / 60.11

Total Receipts: 426,210.44 / 734,623.83

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures: 132,941.58 / 385,573.87

Contribution Refunds: 0.00 / 2,960.00

Other Disbursements: 0.00 / 100.00

Total Disbursements: 132,941.58 / 388,633.87

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period  91,204.80
Total Receipts  426,210.44
Total Disbursements  132,941.58

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  438,893.87

Six new donors have maxed out for the election cycle by contributing a total of $5K.  There were five donations totaling over $2500, and 12 at $2500.  Of the total 228 donations, 34 were from out of state.  Occupational clusters among his contributors are engineering, lawyers, corporate executives.  Unusual occupations include a rabbi, a Harley Davidson dealer, and two men named Trump with a Trump Group, but they aren’t related to the Donald.  There are several political committees donating, including leadership pacs associated with Spencer Bachus, Darryl Issa, Eric Cantor, John Boehner, Jeff Sessions, and, get this, Sarah Palin.  A number of other conservative PACs donated.  Bank of America’s PAC donated, as did California Dairies, Exxon Mobil and Quicken Loans.  In disbursements there are charges for rent and cell phones.  One fundraiser was paid over $20K, another $12K , there is a third fundraiser but it is difficult to figure out how much they are paid as there are memo notes, and I don’t know enough to interpret them.  Progressive Broadcasting was paid $3K; their president donated $2500.  The campaign paid $15K for campaign consulting, $10 for polling, $8K to another consulting firm, about $15K for compliance, and another $9K for consulting.  The campaign still lists close to $20K in debt. 

13th Congressional District

Allyson Schwartz, Incumbent District (first elected 2004)

Receipts

Itemized  217,125.00

Unitemized 20,252.99

Total of Contributions from Individuals   237,377.99 / 554,882.62

Political Party Committees 185.12 / 196.97

PACs   171,061.35 / 256,961.35

Total Contributions:  408,624.46 / 812,040.94

Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, etc.):  0.00 / 194.26

Other Receipts: 2,198.13 / 5,836.52

Total Receipts:  410,822.59 / 818,071.72

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures:  81,439.43 / 295,004.68

Contribution Refunds: 1,000.00 / 3,100.00

Other Disbursements: 1,000.00 / 3,100.00

Total Disbursements: 87,264.43 / 606,224.68

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 1,426,706.82 
Total Receipts  410,822.59
Total Disbursements  87,264.43

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  1,750,264.98

There are four new donors who have contributed the total $5000, four more between $2500 and $5000, and 14 who are at $2500.  Over a fourth of the donors are from out of state.  Some notable local politicos donated, include Ruth Damsker and Lynn Yeakel.  Occupational clusters include health care, attorneys, the arts, and higher education.  In PACS, both Endo and Unisys corporate pacs have donated $10,000 each.  There were a number of PACs relating to medicine / pharmacy / and health care.  In disbursement the congresswoman’s campaign paid for health insurance for her workers, as always.  The campaign paid a fundraiser $10K, there was a $7,500 charge for catering at the Radisson Plaza Warwick.  The campaign paid rent for a campaign office.