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| John Brown |
The answer to my question came today, in the form of a late contributions report his campaign filed. Under our state law, candidates must disclose contributions of $500 or more that are given after their pre-election report is filed, by notifying the elections office with what is called a "24 hour report."
According to the report file by Brown's campaign, the following donations to his campaign were just made yesterday:
Charles Chrin - $1,000 (He gave Callahan $5,000 and is covering his bets).
L. Anderson Daub - $2,500 (Daub is a loyal Republican)
Elmer Gates - $1,000 (Gates is hardcore GOP, but even he is turned off by the Wizard of Ott, and gave his money in Lehigh County to Muller)
Mario Scavello - $1,000 (This State Senator Wannabe has made other contributions to Brown and Council candidates)
Olav Sandnes - $2,500 (This Slate Belt Swede is a close friend of Ron Angle and has given heavily to all Republican candidates)
Albert Jinks - $1,000 (Jinks is a retired Easton area realtor sued earlier this year for hidden costs associated with sales of mobile homes)
Republican Party of Pa - $30,322.55 (in kind)
With this, brown had enough funds for the four mailers as well as the Channel 69 spots. I am told they only cost him $6,000.
Why is the State party giving brown so much money? The State Committee does not just throw money into a local campaign unless one of two things are evident. The first possibility is a poll showing that the Republican receiving the money has a shot. I don't see that myself. The second, and more likely, possibility is that the state party is acting as a pass through agency for donations from a large local donor who does not wish to have his name on Brown's list.
My guess is that J.B. Reilly, Joe Topper or others who are invested in Allentown's NIZ are getting even with Callahan for refusing to wave pom poms over a plan to steal the EIT of surrounding municipalities to fund his hotels and office buildings.
Unfortunately, the dust won't settle on this matter until after the race is over. I'll find out who made the donation, but by then the election will be over and nobody will care.
This is completely legal, but betrays a lack of transparency. Just as the Wizard of Ott uses a state PAC to hide the money he gets from GOP party boss Wayne Woodman and Lisa Scheller, Brown is funneling money from unknown sources into his campaign via the state party.
Both parties do this, so I don't really want to single out Brown as the bad guy. Four years ago, Don Cunningham funneled contributions to Commissioner candidates via the state party.
It's completely legal, but lacks transparency.
15 comments:
Well option 3 is the truth-- This was the plan from day one. PAGOP made similar expenditures throughout the state in 2011.
or the other possibility is that many outstanding citizens don`t want pay to play Callahan.
No doubt that Callahan is a flawed candidate. his sleaze and pay to play factor puts Reibman to shame. I do feel better that Jerry and Ron are running and will probably get elected. They know the county inside and out and I doubt Callahan will be able to sneak anything past them. Given that they are not running for anything else in the future, they won't be afraid to take on any issue.
Hope they win and I am a Republican.
love it when one candidate is actively hiding who his donors are-and the above commentators accuse the OTHER candidate of being sleazy.
Funny. Callahan is a slam dunk over this Slate Belt tea party loon. Time to oust the tea party wing nuts!
In the city of Bethlehem Callahan has just taken it for granted that he will win. He's ignored campaigning on his own home turf. Brown on the other hand has knocked on many doors ( he was at our door a few weeks back and my daughter said he was in her neighborhood last week ) While he may have been an "unknown" a few months back,I think people are talking. He may be getting money from his party,but don't they all? It's better than Callahan's pay to play in our city. He'd take money from Satan.
"Both parties do this, so I don't really want to single out Brown as the bad guy."
... he writes after a headline and 400 words in a post about Brown.
Were you this shitty a lawyer back in the day? Half of all lawyers graduated in the lower half of their class. I wonder where you fell.
Brown stands no chance in this race. The Republicans are trying to muddy up Callahan to prevent him from future runs.
Anon 9:03, Even if Brown cons 1500 Dems to vote for him, which he won't, Callahan still wins the City by 1000 votes. Super voters are all that matters, and there are 5500 or so Dem super voters, and 1500 Repos. The unknown is the 1000 or so Indy super voters. In Bethlehem, they tend to break to the left, lots of Greens.
Remember, Callahan carried the City against Dent, and Dent has 5 times the name recognition of John Brown.
"He may be getting money from his party,but don't they all?"
No. The party is selective. I believe someone gave the state party money and had it earmarked for Browne so his or her fingerprints won't be visible until after the election.
". He'd take money from Satan."
Satan would only give Callahan $100. I tried to get him to up it, but the Evil One tells me the Great Recession really hurt him.
"Were you this shitty a lawyer back in the day? Half of all lawyers graduated in the lower half of their class. I wonder where you fell."
I'll tell you. I was in the top 10% and was Projects editor of Dickinson Law Review. Perhaps you lack the intelligence to follow along, but i was using the brown example to show why this pass thru donations are a bad thing. It's the most relevant and timely example, but perhaps you don't understand.
Please clarify the numbers for Dent/Callahan in the City of Bethlehem during that election. I thought Dent won the city.
I have clarified this before. I have actually written about it twice. Callahan won Bethlehem, though Dent took a few wards.
Bernie, the state party wants to keep the Callahan numbers down. They don't give a crap about Brown and know he will lose but they need to bruise Callahan, as he is eyeing higher office and only using the county as a stepping stone. Much like his mentor Cunningham.
". He'd take money from Satan."
Ron Angle said he would make no donations this time around!
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