Truth challenged congressional candidate lies to FEC about her $100K loan
Stephanie Schmid, the lawyer known for defending the human rights of criminal corporate polluters and for lying to Monmouth and Ocean County Democrats about her ability to raise money, has admitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that she accepted campaign contributions from prohibited entities and that she accepted contributions that exceed the legal limit.
Stephanie Schmid, the presumed Democrat nominee for Congress in New Jersey’s 4th District, reported to the Federal Election Commission that her campaign has $76,671.20 cash on hand as of June 30. The campaign raised $38, 775.95 and spent $14,101.97 between June 18 and June 30, according to the certified Form 3 which was received by the FEC at 11:18 p.m last night.
On three separate occasions in late August, financial analysts from the FEC wrote to the treasurer of the Republican candidate’s principal campaign committee, “Friends of Anna Little”, formally requesting information essential to the full public disclosure of federal election campaign finances. Anna Little is the challenger for New Jersey’s Sixth U.S. Congressional District’s seat.
Letters from the FEC dated 24 August (Ref-1) and 27 August (Ref-2) were similarly themed, indicating that the campaign had provided improper information for an unspecified number of contributors of more than two-hundred dollars ($200) in the “April 2012 Quarterly Report” (Ref-3) and “12 Day Pre-Primary Report” (Ref-4), respectively. The Commission cited that it is unacceptable to have entries with the employer and occupation of “Cash Contributions/Cash Contributions”, “N/A / N/A”, “None/None”, or “Self-employed/Self”. To satisfy the formal requests of the Commission, on 9 October the “Friends of Anna Little” filed documents (Ref-5) and (Ref-6) that provided the missing information that was obtainable along with a description of those best efforts that the Committee made to obtain it otherwise.
The third letter from the FEC, dated 28 August (Ref-7) will raise both your eyebrows, as the Commission points out the serious defects in the Committee’s July 2012 Quarterly Report (Ref-8), including a negative cash balance. The dull-witted among us may immediately conclude that the Committee’s treasurer is “trying to get away with something” because a negative cash balance indicates that somebody has overdrawn an account. However, giving the briefest thought to the matter would reveal the inherent contradiction, “the treasurer illicitly takes the money, but faithfully reports the taking to the FEC for public disclosure.” If one were to apply Occam’s razor, or just some plain common sense, one should conclude that the treasurer simply blundered while filling-out of the form. To further his blunder, he submitted the form without reviewing it. To make his blunder complete, he has no doubt become a recipient of the hairy eyeball (and probably more) from his wife, Anna Little, the candidate. It is clear that the “Friends of Anna Little” recognized the problem and have addressed it, as evidenced by the amended filing (Ref-9) of 19 October.
Since the time of the writing of the three letters, the calendar quarter has ended. In keeping with public disclosure, the “Friend of Anna Little” submitted the September 2012 Quarterly Report (Ref-10) on 14 October. It should be readily obvious to the most casual observer that Anna Little is truly dedicated to governmental openness, honesty, and transparency even when such reveal her warts.
This ends my energetic language. References follow.
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.
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
These polling numbers mean that the number of Registered voters that view Pallone as ‘favorable’ have droped 31% since we last sqaured (sic)off against him in 2010.
These polling results mean that we have 34 days to engage with the 75% of voters who are undecided and help them form an opinion about the self proclaimed author of Obamacare before they head to the polls on Nov. 6th
These polling results mean that victory in the 6th district will be awarded to the campaign that reaches that 75% first!
Anna Little’s congressional campaign account is overdrawn $11,321.08, according to the FEC Form 3 Record of Receipts and Disbursements, that her campaign submitted to the Federal Election Commission yesterday.
$22,188.28 seems to have disappeared overnight, between May 16 and May 17, from Little’s meager coffers. In the pre-primary report of activity for the April 1 through May 16 period, “Friends of Anna Little” had $13,806.95 cash on hand on May 16. The next day, her campaign’s beginning balance was negative $8,381, according to the report submitted yesterday.
Monmouth County GOP Chairman John Bennett, Middlesex County GOP Chairman Sam Thomspon and the Bayshore Tea Party Group need to step in and right the Little campaign before it does damage to the rest of the party. Thompson thought his judgment was better than that of the Monmouth GOP screening committee when he awarded his county’s party line to Little when her home county leaders thought better. Bennett, while not yet chairman, supported Little in the primary against Ernesto Cullari. Bennett and Thompson headlined a fundraiser for Little.
When MMM questioned Thompson about Little’s FEC reports in May he said, “I have a hard enough time keeping my own campaign reports straight.” That flippant attitude is no longer acceptable.
Bennett relied on Little’s support to win the chairmanship by three votes. Little has been taking credit for Bennett’s victory at her weekly campaign meetings at the Keyport IHOP.
The Bayshore Tea Party Group’s leadership, despite having well earned reservations about Little, chose to support her over Cullari as an act of defiance towards the Monmouth GOP.
Thompson, Bennett and BTPG gave us this mess. They need to clean it up. Fast.
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.
Three days after a spokesperson for the Anna Little for Congress campaign told PolitickerNJ that Little’s delinquent campaign finance reports would be filed “immediately” the Middlesex County GOP’s endorsed candidate has yet to file with the federal agency as a candidate.
PolitickerNJ called the Little campaign on Wednesday over the story that MMM has been reporting and updating on since early May. Initially a campaign volunteer claimed that Little’s reports had been filed nine months ago and blamed a backlog of paperwork at the FEC for the reports not being posted online. An FEC spokeswoman told PoltickerNJ that there was no backlog and that every report the agency received from Little was posted on their site.
Little filed a termination report for her “Anna C. Little for Congress, Inc.” campaign committee on April 2. The FEC issued an acceptance of the termination on April 12. The termination report says that Little raised $71,000 more than she spent as a candidate.
In February, Little filed “Friends of Anna Little” as a campaign committee for her aborted run for U.S. Senate. “Friends of Anna Little” is the committee listed on the congressional campaign website . It yet has not yet been terminated as a senate campaign or registered as a congressional campaign.
Little’s husband, Rob, told PolitickerNJ that the campaign spending reports would be filed by primary day, Tuesday June 5. The required statement of organization could easily have been filed on Thursday or Friday. That would have qualified as “immediately.”
With just four days left until the Republican primary, 6th District Congressional candidate Anna Little has yet to file her official Federal Election Commission paperwork or any fundraising reports for her candidacy. Little’s team called it an oversight and promised to fix it immediately.
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.
