Local Government TV

Thursday, November 01, 2007

DA Morganelli Should Take His Own Advice Concerning Campaign Finance Laws, and Enforce Them in Northampton County

Maureen Lally-Green is a Republican superior court judge seeking one of two open seats on the state supreme court. She's getting a little outside help from Virgina-based Center for Individual Freedom (CFI). That group recently launched what it calls a "public education effort" that thanks Maureen for being tough on violent criminals and adhering to established law and precedent. Lally-Green's camp views these ads as a "gift." An expensive one, too! Estimates about the cost of this advertising are at $750,000.

In an agreement with Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett, CFI may run ads except for those that "expressly advocate" the election or defeat of candidates.

Enter Attorney General hopeful John Morganelli.

In a news release issued this afternoon, he demands immediate action. "[W]e need the attorney general to immediately seek an injunction against the Center to stop this blatant violation of the law that can only do irreparable harm in the closing days before the election. It is clear that the only remedy that will stop this in the future and obligate political committees who want to influence Pennsylvania elections to comply with our law is a remedy that will stop this end run around the law in its tracks."

I'd like John Morganelli, AG hopeful, to meet John Morganelli, Northampton County District Attorney.

For weeks, Ron Angle and Peg Ferraro, candidates for county council, have been besieged by slimy and anonymous robo calls and negative mailers. Their opponents, John Maher and Tony Branco, have both acknowledged this is the work of political consultant Tom Severson. And yesterday, Maher amended his campaign finance report to reflect a $4,888.35 in-kind contribution from the Northampton County Democratic Committee for "design mailing" and robo calls. Yet this is reflected nowhere in the party's latest finance report.

Obviously, the slime campaign against Angle and Ferraro is flying under the radar.

In his news release, Morganelli notes that (1) CFI is a politcal committee; (2) is attempting to influence the election; (3) is subject to campaign finance reporting laws; and (4) should be required to list its contributors and expenditures.

Well, The Northampton County Democratic Committee is a political committee, too. It's trying to influence the election just as much as CFI, and must list its contributors and expenditures.

Like CFI, the local Dem party is violating election laws. There has been no accounting for the money raised or spent in the smear campaign being orchestrated against Angle and Ferraro. So I urge John to take his own advice and seek an immediate injunction against the Northampton County Democratic Committee. "[W]e need the [district attorney] to immediately seek an injunction against the [Norco Democratic Committee] to stop this blatant violation of the law that can only do irreparable harm in the closing days before the election. It is clear that the only remedy that will stop this in the future and obligate political committees who want to influence Pennsylvania elections to comply with our law is a remedy that will stop this end run around the law in its tracks."
Update: In fairness to John, he may have a conflict of interest investigating the local Democratic committee, and is a friend of political consultant Tom Severson. But for years now, there has been no oversight of political shenanigans, and this should be referred to the state AG with the same urgency as John's concerns about CIF.

4 comments:

  1. If the sleazy ads and failures to disclose were being committed by indigent illegal aliens trying to eke out a living shoveling shit somewhere, Morganelli would be all over the lwabreakers.

    If the perpetrators are fellow Democrat/friends/clients of Severson, you get Morganelli's free pass.

    A guy who can't see beyond political labels to do the job he was elected to do, is simply unfit for any public office. Shameful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. From today's Morning Call editorial

    Regarding the Oct. 30 editorial, "Voters must sort out complex politics in Northampton County Council races": Pertaining to the statement, "Mr. (John) Maher is not as conversant with county issues as is Mr. (Ron) Angle and he has disappointingly allowed his campaign to be dragged into the gutter by Democratic Party-sponsored mailings and robocalls," to my knowledge, the Northampton County Democratic Party has not made any so-called negative robocalls.

    This borders on libel and slander. Perhaps the Republican candidates are worried about this election and are crying "foul" already.

    Joe Long
    Bethlehem

    The writer is chair of the Northampton County Democratic Party

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Dem party is most definitely behind this, and that's why Maher had to amend his report to note the design mail and robo calls. It's there in black and white. So far as I know, no positive calls have been made at all about Maher.

    I'd like Long to explain why the in kind contribution now being reported by mnaher does not appear on the Dem party campaign finace report.

    I'd like Long to exolain why a PSEA contribution of $400, amde 9/11/07, does not appear on the finance report. Or why another contribution of $100 from PSEA, also dated 9/11/07, does not appear on that report.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bernie - Good work but I think we're missing the point here in Northampton County.

    When is Morganelli going to be held responsible for his actions (or inactions) in reference to Severson?

    ReplyDelete

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