3rd Quarter 2011 FEC Report Round Up

I’m still playing catch up with the quarterly FEC Reports.  This post covers the 3rd quarter 2011, July – September.

You can browse these reports yourself at 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

Itemized 70,057.00

Unitemized 20,382.03

Total of Contributions from Individuals  90,439.03 / 91,548.90

PACs:  1,000.00 / 1,000.00

The Candidate:  10,000.00 / 10,000.00

Total Contributions:  101,439.03 / 102,548.90

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

Total Receipts:  101,439.03 / 104,183.95

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures:  13,224.03 / 73,542.51

Other Disbursements: 0.00 / 750.00

Total Disbursements: 13,224.03 / 74,292.51

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 21,804.15 (22,167.20*)
Total Receipts  101,439.03
Total Disbursements   13,224.03

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  110,382.20

Five people donated $2500 in this reporting period; another two donated $5000, the maximum for this election cycle. In individual donations, there is a large cluster of physicians as might be expected given that Trivedi is a doctor.  There are also small clusters of higher education, and attorneys.  The report is scrambled so it is hard to tell what percentage of donations are from out of state.  Trivedi has donated $10K to the campaign (or it might be $7500, it’s hard to tell).  The  only PAC donations is from Allyson Schwartz’s leadership pac for $1000.  In disbursements, there are payments for general consulting and fundraising.

Jim Gerlach, incumbent Republican

Receipts

Itemized  88,624.23

Unitemized 8,474.50

Total of Contributions from Individuals 97,098.73 / 324,796.73 

PACs  117,404.00 / 454,205.84

Total Contributions: 214,502.73 / 779,002.57

Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, etc.):  0.00 / 8,482.55

Other Receipts:  821.82 / 1,990.39

Total Receipts:  215,324.55 / 789,475.51

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures: 215,324.55 / 789,475.512

Refunds:  350.00 / 350.00

Other Disbursements: 16,545.00 / 59,705.00

Total Disbursements: 166,033.74 / 504,906.32

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 471,724.16
Total Receipts  214,502.73
Total Disbursements  166,033.74

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  521,014.97

Only around 8 of Gerlach’s itemized donors are from out of state.  There were nine new donors who have donated a total of $2500, three who have donated above that, and two who have donated at total of $5000, and therefore cannot donate again in this election cycle.  A few things that caught my eye – the Chicksaw Nation is listed with individual donors; I’m not sure that’s correct.  Four people in one family each donated $2500; three of them are listed as students.  That’s a lot for a student to donate.  Looking at occupations there are clusters in education, health, finance (including credit unions).  There are five brewery owners, and a farmer.  In PACS, he received a total of $5K from the Automobile Dealers Association, American College of Cardiology, Aetna’s PAC, the National Beer Wholesalers, Bank of America, a pac for physical therapists, a pac for airline pilots, and the American Hospital PAC.  There are lesser donations from Merck and the Mainstream PAC.  Bayer has donated a total of $6K, Price Waterhouse Cooper has donated $5500.  There are clusters in energy and health care.  Things that jumped out at me – Poker Players Alliance, and the Humane Society’s Legislative Fund.  In disbursements, he paid $14,500 to the NRCC.  Gerlach has opened or moved his campaign office.  There are payments for a security deposit, rent, office “fit out,” and furniture.  One golf outing cost $10K and another $1700.  He bought general insurance.  He paid one fundraiser about $27K, a campaign finance consultant about $21K.  Someone was paid for FEC compliance, and the campaign hired a media consultant.  

7^th Congressional District

Pat Meehan, Republican

Receipts

Itemized  95,100.00

Unitemized 1,947.00

Total of Contributions from Individuals 97,047.00 / 491,819.77

Other Political Committees 0.00 / 1,600.00

PACs  105,500.00 / 488,000.00

Total Contributions 202,547.00 / 981,419.77

Transfers from Other Authorized Committees: 0.00 / 25,069.40

Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Rebates, etc):  2,358.84 / 2,358.84

Other Receipts:  0.00 / 471.29

Total Receipts: 204,905.84 / 1,009,319.30

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures: 98,239.07 / 591,329.32

Contribution Refunds:  0.00 / 11,000.00

Total Disbursements: 98,239.07 / 602,329.32

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 627,601.00
Total Receipts  204,905.84
Total Disbursements 98,239.07

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  734,267.77

Note the relatively small amount of unitemized donations, those under $250, compared to the itemized donations.  Note also that that PAC donations are larger than contributions from individuals.  About 20 of the 120 individual contributors are from out of state.  There are three donors who have reached the maximum $5K donation for this election cycle, four who are above $2500, and nine who have donated $2500.  In donor’s occupations there are the usual lawyers, also health administration.  The Chicksaw Nation donated.  One portrait artist donated.  Among the numerous PAC donations are several company PACs and industry PACs.  Many of these are in the transportation, health care, and insurance areas.  One that jumped out at me was the US-Cuba Democracy.  In disbursements, rent payments are present.  The campaign paid a fundraising company $26K, $6500 for accounting, and nover $8K for legal fees.  The campaign paid $1314 to a golf club for a fundraiser.

8^th Congressional District

Mike Fitzpatrick, Republican

Receipts

Itemized  64,380.00

Unitemized 8,395.00

Total of Contributions from Individuals  72,775.00 / 415,246.61

Political Party Committees:  0.00 / 1,000.00

PACs   64,185.00 / 438,616.30

Total Contributions:  136,960.00 / 854,862.91

Transfers from Authorized Committees: 0.00 / 16,404.51

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

Other Receipts: 252.87 / 312.98

Total Receipts: 137,212.87 / 871,836.70

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures:  66,414.57 / 451,988.44

Contribution Refunds:  250.00 / 3,210.00

Other Disbursements: 0.00 / 100.00

Total Disbursements: 66,664.57 / 455,298.44

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period  438,893.87
Total Receipts  137,212.87
Total Disbursements : 66,664.57

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period  509,442.17

There were five new donors contributing a total of $2500, and another four contributing $5,000, the total allowed this election cycle.  Like other congressional reps he received a donation from the Chicksaw Nation.  Ten out of 70 donors were from out of state.   In PAC donations there are a number of politically oriented PACs donating.  For example, there are small donations from five local Philadelphia campaign committees, such as Taubenberger for Philly, and Friends of Chris Vogler.  The Kitchen Table Patriots also made a small donation.  Statewide GOP PACS, such as Keystone Alliance PAC, are also represented, as are national GOP organizations, including the Republican Main Street PAC and the Tuesday Group PAC.  There are also a handful of donations from leadership PACs such as Guthrie for Congress (Guthrie is from Kentucky).  The Brady for Congress committee that donated is for a Texas congressman named Brady, not the Pennsylvania Democrat named Brady.  The US Cuba Democracy also donated.  There were clusters of donations from organizations in energy, insurance, finance, and health / pharmaceutical groups.  In disbursements Rep. Fitzpatrick is paying rent, presumably for a campaign office.  He also pad Patton Boggs $20K for legal consulting.  I wonder what that’s about.  Campaign Finance Services received $15K, Catalyst Group around $22K.  The campaign also spent over $2600 to cater a fundraiser at the New York Yacht Club.  Mr. Fitzpatrick’s campaign continues to carry a lot of debt, $16K to the Strategy Group for Media for advertising.

13th Congressional District

Allyson Schwartz, Incumbent District (first elected 2004)

Receipts

Itemized  147,694.00

Unitemized 12,767.00

Total of Contributions from Individuals 160,461.00 / 715,343.62   

Political Party Committees 24.99 / 221.96

PACs   142,550.00 / 399,511.35

Total Contributions: 303,035.99 / 1,115,076.93

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

Other Receipts: 2226.45 / 8062.97

Total Receipts:  305,262.44 / 1,123,334.16

Disbursements

Operating Expenditures:  73,922.41 / 368,927.09 

Contribution Refunds: 0.00/ 3,100.00

Other Disbursements: 5,750.00 / 313,870.00

Total Disbursements: 79,672.41 / 685,897.09

Cash Summary.

Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 1,750,264.98
Total Receipts 305,262.44  
Total Disbursements 79,672.41

Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period   1,975,855.01

Four donors contributed $2500, eight between $2500 and $5000, and seven have donated the $5000 allowed for this election cycle.  Of the 216 donors, around 80 are from out of state.  No celebs on the list but there is an NBC executive.  There is also a bakery owner, a paralegal, and the president of the Pakistani-American Christian Association.  There are occupational clusters in health care administration, education, the arts, and pharmaceuticals.  In PACs two donated $10K, Comcast and the association of orthopaedic surgeons PAC.  Schwartz is cornering the market on middle class shopping PAC money, with donations from the PACs for Wal-Mart, Target, and CVS.  Among the unusually named groups we find the Society for Relief of Distressed and Decayed Pilots (relates to sea freight and transport), and the Women in Psychology for Legislative Action.  There are a lot of donations from PACs relating to health care workers, for example, family physicians, physician assistants, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, etc.  One of the perks of sitting on a big bank account is interest.  It looks like the campaign earns $8K a month in interest.  Not bad, not bad at all.  In disbursements, Schwartz gave $5K to the Montgomery County Democrats.  She pays health insurance for her works, car insurance for the campaign car, and rent for an office.  The campaign paid $10K to Erickson & Co for fundraising.  There are several payments for catering and food, including pretzels for small events.  There are a few payments (total:  $1300) to the Picnic Pros, possibly for events attended by all those Wal-Mart, Target, and CVS people.  Posher events are listed as well.  Local celeb chef Stephen Starr catered an event; Starr also donated to the campaign.  There are a few other $1000 or thereabouts payments for catering.