Darth Voter Spent $13.5K in Campaign Funds on Himself in 2015

I now call State Representative and Fed Ed lackey Mike Schlossberg is our very own Darth Voter for his recent decision to cast at least one vote for an absent fellow Democrat in a crucial budget matter, in complete violation of state house rules. In typical Fed Ed style, Darth Voter tried to blame his own moral lapse on "tea party extremists."

They're probably responsible for the annual report his campaign just filed concerning his campaign finances. He raised $55,800 in an off-election year, thanks to the Lehigh Valley urban growth regime and the trade unions they employ to build the Flats at Oh So So Do So Pa. His contributors are a Who's Who of the FBI Subpoena list, from Ramzi Haddad ($1,000) to Matthew McTish ($1,000).

That's no surprise. But what I find disgusting is the $13,500 he managed to spend on himself in a City in which the average per capita income is just $17,000. So disgusting that I have sent an email complaining about it to the State and Lehigh County Elections Bureau. My email is below.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The purpose of this email is to make you aware of reporting violations in the 2015 annual report just filed by Friends of Mike Schlossberg at Filer ID No. 20120115. This report was filed with both the Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation as well as the Lehigh County elections office, as candidate Schlossberg is a resident of Lehigh.

Pennsylvania has a campaign finance reporting law that enables the public to determine who is financing elections and how candidates are spending the money donated to their campaigns. In essence, this enables the public to follow the money. But that becomes impossible when the candidate fails to explain how the money is spent.

Pennsylvania's Campaign Finance Law specifically provides, at 25 P.S. § 3246 (b), that each campaign finance report "shall" contain the following information: "Each and every expenditure, the date made, the full name and address of the person to whom made and the purpose for which such expenditure was made."

The 2015 annual report just filed by Friends of Mike Schlossberg fails to provide that information. Instead, it is replete with numerous instances in which Schlossberg periodically reimburses himself for expenditures, without any reference to the expenditure, date made, name and address of the person to whom the expenditure is made or its purpose.

To be specific, Friends of Mike Schlossberg list the following "reimbursements" to candidate Mike Schlossberg: $520.86 on 2/6/15; $372.27 on 3/2/15: $1,867.00 on 3/31/15; $144.98 on 4/2/15; $1,402.05 on 5/5/15: $658.50 on 5/7/15; $23.00 on 5/21/15; $635.40 on 6/1/15; $4,517.80 on 7/2/15 (fundraiser mentioned); $787.88 on 8/29/15; $735.74 on 9/27/15: $94.88 on 9/30/15 (mileage); $606.82 on 10/25/15; $97.75 on 11/3/15 (mileage); $735.00 on 11/28/15; and $396.09 on 12/30/15.

During 2015, Schlossberg has managed to use campaign funds to pay himself $13,596.02 with absolutely no explanation of what the money was used for, who was paid or when. This totally defeats the purpose of the Campaign Finance Reporting Law, and I am requesting that you exercise your supervisory authority and direct Friends of Mike Schlossberg to amend this report and indicate precisely the nature of the expenses for which Schlossberg seeks reimbursement.

In addition to being illegal, this report is unconscionable. Schlossberg has managed to stick $13,596.02 in campaign funds into his own pocket in a city in which the per capita income is just $17,000.

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter. I can be reached at the above email address or 610-xxx-xxxx.