Following the Money: Analysis of NorCo DA Campaign Finance Reports

On Friday night, I posted the campaign finance reports filed that very day by NorCo DA candidates Steve Baratta and Terry Houck. Baratta raised twice as much money, But Houck started the race with $35,000 while Baratta had nothing. Baratta has spent $115,000 to Houck's $99,000, but they both were able to spend a lot of money. If you're a registered Democrat, you've seen that every time your check your mail over the past few weeks. That's part of the story, but there is much more. How was this money raised? Who is behind each race? How is the money being spent? This analysis attempts to answer those questions. 

After Allentown Mayor Edwin ("Fed Ed") Pawlowski was convicted of political corruption in 2018, a lot of the usual big money donations in local races came screeching to a halt. This certainly bothered a lot of politicians, but most of us would consider that a good thing. In the DA's race, I would have  expected to see both candidates do most of their own funding, with supplementation by attorneys who often give to both sides. They're both Democrats, so I'd expect to see some union contributions, too. That's largely been the case with DA Terry Houck. But not with Baratta.   

To be sure, both candidates have invested a lot of their own money. Steve Baratta and family have poured in $46,000, while Houck and family have spent $54,500 of their own funds. But for Baratta, big-money bundling in political campaigns has returned with a vengeance. This is thanks primarily to Norris, McLaughlin immigration attorney Ray Lahoud. Is he the George Soros of the Lehigh Valley or one of the Koch brothers?  He could be both. 

Lahoud made just one $10,000 donation, but also supplied a whopping $37,901.69 with in-kind contributions for printing, the purchase of a laptop, robo calls, media buys, TV, a media consultant and streaming ads. 

What's more, he is certainly behind the $20,000 from NIZ developers J.B Reilly and Joe Topper. These guys are arch conservatives and would in no way support Baratta's platform. They made these contributions because they concluded, mistakenly I believe, that it would be good business.  

Allentown law firm Norris, McLaughlin occupies two floors at Three City Center, which is owned by Reilly and Topper. That firm also represents Lehigh Valley Health Network, which coincidentally maintains a fitness facility, rehab services and doctors' offices at One City Center. That property is also  owned by Reilly and Topper. If the NIZ twins wanted to keep their tenants happy, they'd fork over the dough. 

If you remove Lahoud from the equation, Baratta suddenly has $67,000 less to spend. So Lahoud and his big money bundling have been the major factor in this race.  

In addition to Ray Lahoud's bundling, there is no doubt in my mind that the $6,000 in contributions made by Lisa Boscola and Bob Donchez are the handiwork of the Morganelli machine. Judge John Morganelli is barred by the Code of Judicial Conduct from engaging in political activity, and he has nominated me for the Booker Prize for fiction writers to even suggest that he's involved. But his fingerprints are all over this race, just as they were all over Nuria DiLuzio's campaign against Terry Houck four years ago. Morganelli accidentally admitted this to a third party. 

Four years ago, he had Bob Donchez come out for DiLuzio and agree to be her campaign chair. Now he has conned Bob, once again, into being Baratta's campaign chair. If you need more proof, look at Baratta's expenditures. He paid one of John's sons $5,100 for website design.

Unfortunately for Baratta, this money was poorly spent.   

Baratta reports in-kind contributions of $10,000 from Leo Rooney for "campaign manager fees." You get what you pay for. Rooney missed having Baratta appear at a Kirkland Village event, even though Steve could have fallen out of his window and be there. He missed the LV Labor Council annual dinner, which makes it hard for him to contend he's the real Democrat. He missed the endorsement meeting held by the progressive Lehigh Valley For All (who agree with us), which ended up endorsing Houck over him. At events where Baratta did appear, he mostly huddled in a corner with Reilly, instead of speaking to others.  I saw that first hand at the Easton Civic Ass'n. A campaign manager should have reminded Baratta that, since stepping down from the bench, he is no longer God. People like to be asked for their vote. 

Baratta also wasted money for a TV ad that ran on MSNBC. He spent an amazing $43,000 to Princeton Strategies, which stupidly conducted an online poll. That firm does employ one of Lenny Zito's daughters, but Baratta could have picked a better consultant. 

I am also bothered by one of Baratta's contributors. Baratta accuses Terry Houck of racial insensitivity. But Monica Blazic, who gave Baratta $500, is being sued by the United States for discriminating against tenants and prospective tenants at a public housing authority on the basis of race and disability and for promising prospective tenants public housing in exchange for favorable testimony. How could Baratta have missed that?  

I'd even argue that the money spent for ads on this blog is wasted.  There are very few undecided voters among the 5,400 or so people who read this blog on weekdays. The only person who benefits is me. Thanks.  

Terry Houck is an independent and professional prosecutor. He's no politician. Except during silly season, when his own office is at stake, you'll see him in courtrooms instead of ballrooms. It's no surprise to me that no local politician has attempted to buy prosecution insurance in the form of a campaign contribution. His biggest contributor is Abe Atiyeh, who gave Terry $5,000. 

Steve Baratta has complained that Houck's staff is in disarray, with people leaving the office in droves. Houck's finance report belies this contention. It shows contributions made by detectives Andre Stevens, Robert Righi, John Casciano, Dean Wilson and Gerald Walsh.  It shows contributions made by former ADAs Becky Kulik and John Obrecht as well as current ADA Bill Blake.

At last week's news conference, Baratta complained that Houck was using a convicted criminal, Tom Severson, to manage his campaign.  This was news to Patti Bruno, the person who actually is running Houck's campaign. She confronted Baratta, and Houck's campaign finance reveals no payments to Severson or in-kind contributions from him. Incidentally, Severson's record has been expunged, and Baratta should know it is improper to refer to expunged records.  

My final conclusions? First, the return of campaign bunding is bad news for anyone who believes in small "d" democracy. Second. Terry has spent less money than Baratta, but more wisely. Third, negative campaigning works, but only when the person who does so can be perceived as a basically nice person. Baratta has come off angry and out-of-control, which he demonstrated last week when he expanded his criticism to include the President Judge. 

Baratta said last week that it's ok if he loses this race. That's exactly what's going to happen.