Little reports $52K in cash, $96K in debt

Anna Little’s 6th district congressional campaign reported $52,151 cash on hand and $96,366 in debt to the Federal Election Commission through the quarter than ended September 30th.

The campaign reported that it raised $203,573 and spent $156,155 in the quarter.  Of the $203,573 raised, only $33,689 was itemized by donor.  Most of the donors disclosed were from outside of New Jersey.  The required employer information is missing for many.

Little’s second quarter report indicated a negative cash balance of over $11,000.  The third quarter report, which was filed electronically on October 14, indicates that the campaign had a beginning cash balance of $4,734.

Little was criticized by the FEC in August for failing to disclose donor information, for math that doesn’t add up or jibe between reports and for reporting a negative cash balance but no debt.  She was required to amend her three prior reports by October 4th.  The prior reports were not amended and the violations apparently continue in the current report.

Of the $156,155 Little said she spent, $2,250 was paid to Constantine Financial Services of Oaktan, VA for compliance consulting. $1,800 was paid to Chris Walen, CPA of Matawan, NJ for accounting services.  Rick Trader of Deptford, NJ was paid $1950 for conservative commando radio and Jayson Solino of Ocean, NJ was paid $4000 for a website.  Little’s website is linked to a free blogspot site that hosts her press releases.

Other reported expenditures include $1748 paid to Lakeside Manor in Hazlet, NJ for lodging.  Lakeside Manor, a catering hall, does not have lodging rooms.

Little is making her second attempt to unseat Congressman Frank Pallone.  Pallone is seeking his 13th term in the House of Representatives.  For the quarter ended September 30, Pallone raised $1.6 million and spent $1.3 million in campaign funds.  He has $3.5 million cash on hand.

• Tweet

Anna Little’s Campaign Falls to Respond to FEC Inquiry

Monmouth GOP Headquarters. Who's missing? Click on photo for full view

Anna Little’s congressional campaign has failed to respond to the Federal Election Commission’s demands for accurate information about the campaign’s finances.

As reported by MMM on September 12,  the FEC wrote Little’s husband and campaign treasurer, Rob Little, three separate letters in late August regarding serious deficiencies in the campaign’s April 2012 quarterly report, the 12 day pre-primary report, and the June 2012 quarterly report.  The April and pre-parimary reports lacked donor information.  The July report, which reported a negative cash balance of over $11,000, did not jibe with the previous two reports.  The FEC demanded that all of the reports be ammended and that they be filed electronically.  The deadline for the April amendment was September 28.  The pre-primary report amendment was due on October 1 and the July amendment was due yesterday.  None of the amendments are posted in the FEC website.

The FEC’s letters stated in bold print that requests for extensions would not be considered and that failure to comply could result in audits and enforcement action.

The FEC analysts who wrote to Little referred MMM to the press office.  The press office spokewoman told MMM that reports that are filed electronically are posted to the commission’s website “almost immediately.”  Reports that are submitted via paper are posted “within 48 hours.”   The spokeswoman twice suggested that MMM contact the campaign. “It will be interesting to hear what they have to say,” she said.

Rob Little told MMM that he received the letters and referred them to the campaign’s compliance officer.  Little declined to give the name of the compliance officer, stating, “you’re going to twist whatever I say.”

Speaking of twisted….

The Little campaign yesterday emailed a fundraising appeal declaring that her race against Congressman Frank Pallone is winnable based on Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press polling data.

The email, signed by “Anna,” cited Monmouth University Polling Director Patrick Murray’s statewide poll released last week  that measured the favorability ratings to potential Democratic gubernatorial challengers to Governor Chris Christie in 2013.  Pallone scored a statewide favorability rating of 16% statewide (17% among Republicans), 9% unfavorable and 75% had no opinion.  Little compared that poll to a October 2010 Monmouth survey of the old 6th congressional district that indicated Pallone was beating Little in that race by 53% to 41%.

Little’s email told her prospective donors:

THE RACE IS WINABLE

• Tweet

Little Files FEC Reports For Senate Campaign

Still No Reports For Her House Race

Friends of Anna Little filed an undated quarterly report for the period covering January 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012 which disclosed contributions and expenditures for Little’s campaign for U.S. Senate.   The report was marked received by the Secretary of the Senate on June 5, 2012, coincidently the same day that Little won the GOP primary for the House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 6th district.   The report can be found here.

According to the report, Little raised $161,151.95 and spent $147,371.46 during the 15 month quarter while running for U.S. Senate.  The time bending campaign had $13,834.49 cash on hand on March 31.

Little has no records on file with the FEC for her campaign to unseat Congressman Frank Pallone.  Her previous campaign committee, Anna C. Little for Congress Inc, filed a termination report with the FEC on April 2, 2012, 9 days after she received the Middlesex County GOP’s endorsement for the 6th district nomination.

• Tweet

Still a Little Paperwork To Do

6th congressional district GOP nominee Anna Little has yet to file as a candidate for Congress with the Federal Election Commission, according to an FEC spokesperson who spoke to MMM this morning.

Little’s husband, Rob, told PolitickerNJ last week that all required reports would be filed with the FEC prior to the primary.

• Tweet

What is Anna Little running for?

She’s on the GOP primary ballot as a candidate for congress from the 6th district, but as far as the Federal Election Commission knows, she’s still a candidate for U.S. Senate.

Hundreds of Little for Congress lawn highway signs showed up on Route 36 on Friday night.  “Paid for by Anna C. Little for Congress Inc.”

The “paid for”  disclosure sparked my curiosity and prompted a visit to the FEC website.  Little’s website is paid for by “Friend of Anna Little.”  It seemed odd that Anna C. Little for Congress was paying for signs.

Oddly, the campaign committee “Anna C. Little for Congress Inc” was terminated.  The campaign filed a termination report on April 2 and the FEC issued a approval of termination letter on April 12. 

The letter from the FEC says:

If your committee again becomes active in federal elections, it will be required to re-register with the Commission in accordance with the Federal Election Campaign Act and applicable Regulations. Your committee will be treated as a new entity by the Commission and should register as a new committee on FEC FORM 1, pursuant to 2 U.S.C. §§ 432(g) and 433(a).

But, a thorough search showed no reinstatement of the campaign committee.   Little has no congressional campaign committee or congressional account registered with the FEC.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Pallone’s FEC Report

By Art Gallagher

Frank Pallone at 2010 Highlands Clamfest. This year's Clamfest is August 4-7

Congressman Frank Pallone raised $206,050.06 for his 2012 reelection effort during the quarter that ended on June 30, 2011.  His campaign spent $111,008.79 in the quarter, earned interest of $1080.13 and ended the quarter with $3,223,144.24 in cash, according to the Pallone for Congress FEC Form 3 filed on July 15.

Among the campaign’s expenditures is a $614 per month auto lease, gas and tolls.  Someone apparently had a fender bender with the $614 per month car.  The campaign spent over $900 at Tony’s Auto Body in Long Branch.

Former Governor Jon Corzine’s campaign contributions have not entirely dried up.  Corzine gave Pallone $2500 in the quarter.

One of Pallone’s contributors raised my eyebrows.  Jacob “Josh” Elkes, a stalwart Monmouth GOP supporter and Acting Chairman of Brookdale Community College gave Pallone $250 in June. 

Eileen Kean, former President of the Neptune Township Republican Club and sister of State Senator Sean Kean, gave Pallone $250.   As a lobbyist, campaign contributions are part of the cost of doing business for Kean.

(Blogger’s note:  This is the 1000th post on MMM since the site was relaunched at this domain in September of last year.  Thank you readers, advertisers, contributors and commenters.)

• Tweet

Little Raises No Money. Has Less Than $2000 Cash On Hand

Campaign Treasurer Claims 2011 Donations and Expenses Are Not Included–Disclosure Not Required

By Art Gallagher

The fledgling campaign of Anna Little to unseat Congressman Frank Pallone raised no money in the first quarter of this year, spent $5,600 of campaign funds left over from last year and has $1966.00 cash on hand, according to Little’s FEC Form 3, Record of Receipts And Disbursements, filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday.

The campaign owes its manager, Larry Cirignano, $2,123 and Little $700.00.

The $5,600 spent was for fundraising, accounting, rent and phone bills, according to the report.

Little’s $1000 sponsorship of the Bayshore Tea Party’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration featuring guest speaker James O’Keefe was not reported.  The sponsorship check was drawn on the account of Anna C. Little for Congress Inc. and dated March 11, 2011.  Bayshore Tea Party founder Barbara Gonzalez verified that the check cleared.

Also not reported, either in this week’s filing nor in Little’s final 2010 report, was any expenditure for the campaign’s election night gathering at the Shore Casino.

Asked about the missing expenditures, Cirignano told MoreMonmouthMusings, “I don’t know anything about it.”

In an email to previous donors during the last week of March, Cirignano asked supporters to donate as much as they could by March 31 in order that Little’s report would have an impressive showing in the amount of individual donors, if not in the amount of money raised.

Little for Congress Treasurer Jane Frotton said that this week’s report applies to the 2010 campaign only. “Anna has not formally announced or filed that she is running in 2012,” said Frotten, “our expert in Washington said we don’t have to disclose 2011-2012 receipts or expenditures because we haven’t filed and because we have not raised enough money.”  Frotten said the Bayshore Tea Party sponsorship was a 2011-2012 expenditure that is not required to be disclosed yet.

Frotton said the Shore Casino bill was “paid by somebody else. There is a $250 balance due that I haven’t paid yet.”  When asked if the Shore Casino bill was reported as an inkind contribution or if the $250 balance due was reported as a debt, Frotton said “no.”

• Tweet

FEC Questions Pallone Too

By Art Gallagher

The Federal Election Commission is requiring that Pallone for Congress amend its 30 Day Post General disclosure, to address discrepancies with previously filed reports and apparent inaccuracies in the reporting the aggregate contributions of two donors during the 2010 election cycle.

Pallone has until January 18, 2011 to submit the amended report, and any other reports that must be corrected as a result of the errors.

During the 2010 election cycle, Pallone raised $2,247,629.82 and spent $1,951,239.11.  He had $3,229,847.56 on hand on November 22, according to his post general report.

• Tweet

FEC Questions Little’s Campaign Contributions

By Art Gallagher

The Federal Election Commission has requested that Anna Little’s congressional campaign clarify their post election disclosure over contributions that were received after the conclusion of the general election. FEC regulations state that contributions for the general election be accepted after the polls close only to the extent that the a campaign is in debt.

Little’s November 22 “30 Day Post General Report” indicated that the campaign had $9,677.38 cash on hand.  $14,600 in contributions were received in the three days immediately after the election.  FEC regulations permit campaigns to keep contributions that were mailed and postmarked prior to the conclusion of the election.  Contributions that were hand delivered after the polls closed, if any, would have to be returned to the donors.

The FEC requires that the Little campaign answer their inquiry by January 11, 2012.

MMM has received an inquiry about a rumour that the Little campaign retained over $100,000 in contributions after the election.  That rumour is obviously false.

• Tweet