Gracedale Goons Hiding Union Money

Both The Morning Call and Express Times have stories about my complaint to Voting Registrar Dee Rumsey, reporting a union attempt to disguise the money they are ouring into the Gracedale initiative. People have a right to know who funds political campaigns.

Rumsey has apparently kicked the can down the road to DA John Morganelli, where it will die. In his thousand years as Northampton County's chief crime dog, Morganelli has consistently refused to lift a finger at Election Code violations. This has enabled his own political consultant and pal, Tom Severson, to operate with impunity for decades. I would prefer to see the Attorney General review union involvement, especially since unions are among Morganelli's biggest campaign contributors.

Here's the complaint I filed with Voting Registrar Dee Rumsey on Wednesday.

Under the Election Code, 25 P.S. Section 3259, you have the responsibility of making inquiries and conducting field investigations for alleged failures to file any report or statement required. You have the additional responsibility of reporting apparent violations of the Election Code to the District Attorney or Attorney General. The purpose of this email is to make you aware of apparent violations of the Election Code by the Gracedale Initiative Committee, and to ask that you forward this complaint for appropriate review after your own inquiries and field investigation.

1) Failure to register as required by 25 P.S. Section 3244. - Once a political committee receives $250 or more, whether in cash or in-kind contributions, it must register within twenty days. The Gracedale Initiative Committee has received more than $250 in cash or in-kind contributions, more than 20 days ago.

* As early as October 25, 2010, the Gracedale Initiative Committee was using soliciting volunteers for election day, who were asked to call 800-478-4944. That telephone number, a toll-free number, along with a secretary answering at the other end, has an average monthly cost of $100. That toll-free telephone number is still being used as recently as Monday, May 2, 2011, when the Gracedale Initiative Committee again solicited volunteers. That telephone number is maintained by AFSCME District 88. Assuming that the line and secretary's time are worth $100 per month, that would indicate an in-kind contribution by AFSCME to the Gracedale Initiative Committee of $600 through April 25.

See http://savegracedale.blogspot.com/2010/10/volunteers-needed.html and http://savegracedale.blogspot.com/2011/05/please-help.html

* In addition to the use of a toll-free number from AFSCME District 88, the Gracedale Initiative Committee opened an office on May 1, 2011 at 239 S. Broad Street, Nazareth, PA 18064. According to real estate web sites, the monthly rent at that address is $1,200. I have attached a picture of the office, with "Save Gracedale" signs inside the windows.

See http://www.directhomes.com/Property/137810012/239_Broad_Street_Nazareth_Pa_18064

* On April 27, 2010, during a taping of Business Matters, approximately 15 people were dressed in bright green "Save Gracedale" campaign T-shirts. It is obvious that money has been spent to purchase T-shirts in bulk for this campaign.

* Numerous "Save Gracedale" signs are scattered throughout the County

It is obvious that more than $250 has been received by the Gracedale Initiative Committee to influence the outcome of an election. It is equally obvious, from the toll-free phone alone, that these contributions exceeded the $250 level long ago, as early as January. Yet at the close of business yesterday, the Gracedale Initiative Committee had registered no political committee.

2) Failure to 'clearly and conspicuously' identify the person who paid for the campaign signs, in violation of 25 P.S. Section 3258. - The Election Code requires that campaign signs must "clearly and conspicuously disclose the person or committee who paid for them. Yet the numerous "Save Gracedale" signs I have seen, including signs at their campaign HQs at 239 S Broad Street in Nazareth, fail to make the required disclosure. The only identifying marker on them is a union printer label.

I have attached pictures of a "Save Gracedale" sign, taken yesterday at 5 PM at 239 S Broad Street in Nazareth. It contains no disclosure. I have also photographed the union printer label. These photographs are attached to this email. In addition to my own observations, Ralph Stampone of Wind Gap,a former member of the Elections Commission, has seen signs in the Slate Belt that contain no disclosure.

On Saturday, the person I saw with the signs was Gracedale's AFSCME President, Ellen Weiss. Yesterday, when I visited 239 S. Broad Street, a sign at the door directed visitors with inquiries to call her. Ms. Weiss, you may recall, is one of two circulators who submitted 38 false affidavits in connection with the Gracedale initiative. She has demonstrated a disdain for the requirements of the Election Code, and I ask that you take the appropriate action.