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DEL.ICIO.USThrough a glass, darkly
First postings of campaign disclosures by ethics commission few, far between.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At midnight Friday, three months’ worth of political money in Georgia was supposed to be accounted for.
And it may well be. You just can’t see much of it.
A system designed to shed more light on money candidates take, and from whom they get it, has — at least over the weekend — gone largely blank.
On Saturday, the campaign finance reports for most major statewide races, from governor to agriculture commissioner, had yet to be posted at the web site of the State Ethics Commission.
Last year, Gov. Sonny Perdue and the Legislature gave birth to a new state ethics law, shifting responsibility for collecting campaign finance documents from the secretary of state to the State Ethics Commission.
The measure went into effect in January. But days before, the State Ethics Commission, under fresh Republican control, dismissed longtime Executive Director Teddy Lee.
And money for the transition has yet to find its way into the right hands. Software systems have yet to be coordinated.
“Not only did we do this on a shoestring, but with a change of administration,” said Rick Thompson, acting executive director.
“I’ve got three people working 11 and 13 hours a day. They’re fingers are bloody from all the typing,” he said.
Thompson said most of the candidate reports should be available Sunday.
This round of disclosure reports, which cover contributions from January through March, are important on several levels. In addition to letting voters see the flow of money in campaigns, the reports also provide a strategic look — at a candidate’s alliances, spending and overall strength.
Over the weekend, several of the major campaigns gave us much of the information they’ve sent to the ethics commission.
In the governor’s race: Because all three major candidates are state office-holders barred from raising money during sessions of the Legislature, the financial dynamics of the race haven’t changed much.
During the first three months of the year, Secretary of State Cathy Cox, a Democrat, raised $185,892, compared with Democratic rival Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor’s $98,531 and Republican incumbent Perdue’s $142,500.
The disparities grow when it comes to money in the bank: Cox has $2.9 million, Taylor has $4.1 million, and Perdue has $8.3 million.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, we’ve only got complete numbers for the Republican side.
Ralph Reed, the former head of the national Christian Coalition and state GOP chairman, raised $269,461 over the three-month period, maintaining a significant lead in financing.
But Casey Cagle, a businessman and state senator from Gainesville, made the most of March 31, the only day left to him in the reporting period. According to his disclosure, Cagle received $103,510 in 24 hours, for a total of $132,937 during the period.
In the all-important category of money in the bank, Reed has $1.4 million, while Cagle reports $881,227.
The two disclosures hold a few surprises. Reed’s contributors include Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who held a fund-raiser for him last month.
During the last six months of 2005, half the money Reed raised came from out of state. In the first three months of 2006, most all donors are from within Georgia.
Cagle’s contributions include $500 from a John Weaver of New York City, and $200 from Orson Swindle of Alexandria, Va.
Weaver was political director for U.S. Sen. John McCain in the 2000 presidential race. Weaver tangled with Reed, who was working for George W. Bush, in the South Carolina primary — where McCain was knocked out of the contest in a bitter fight.
Swindle is a former member of the Federal Trade Commission and was a Vietnam POW with McCain.
In a series of e-mails made public last year, Reed and Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff discussed going to Bush adviser Karl Rove to keep Swindle’s wife from obtaining a White House appointment.
“Can you ping Karl on this? I can’t believe they just don’t get this done?” Abramoff wrote. Replied Reed: “I am seeing him tomorrow at the WH and plan to discuss it with him as well.”
Swindle’s wife didn’t get the job.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Sam
April 8, 2006 08:49 PM | Link to this
Be nice to see them…
By Tony
April 10, 2006 09:04 AM | Link to this
Shocker. That much money of Ralph’s being out of state. It’s probably from all of those companies he’s helped lobby and them returning the favor. Or those who think he will win who are buying stock into Ralph to give them favors in the future. He’s the epitome of what politics has become today: special interests and out-of-state bought and paid for. Good to see that “little known” candidate who is his competition is still running in the fundraising race. Let’s do analysis….take away ALL of the out-of-state money and see just how much GA loves Reed compared to the ‘unknown’ Cagle. If someone with that low of name-ID can hang with someone who is a household name, it’s another sign that Reed should be a little concerned.