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

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FEC to Anna Little: You’ve got some ‘splaining to do

“Please file an amendment to your report to accurately disclose your financial activities.”

The Federal Election Commission wrote Anna Little’s congressional campaign three times during the month of August to demand that her campaign finance reports comply with federal law.

The letters were addressed to Little’s opposite sex husband, Robert Lee Little III, the campaign’s fourth treasurer this year.

On August 24th  FEC analyst Carolina Cavana wrote the male Little informing him that the campaign’s April 2012 quarterly report failed to adequately disclose the identity of donors who contributed $200 or more to the campaign.  The campaign must disclose the missing information or prove that it made a good faith effort to obtain the information.  The answer is due by September 28th and there will be no further notice given, unless Rob reads MMM.

Another FEC analyst, Brian Jones, wrote to Little III, who is Treasurer IV, on August 27 to inform him that the 12 day pre-primary report, filed on June 27 three weeks after the primary,  is also missing the donor information that April report was missing.  The answer to that letter is due on October 1.

Jones wrote again on August 28 detailing 4 problems with the July 2012 quarterly report including contributions accepted for the primary campaign, post primary, beginning balances that did not match ending balances for the April report, and a ending cash balance of negative $11,321.08 in the July report.

Your report discloses a negative ending cash balance of $11,321.08. This suggests that you have overdrawn your account, made a mathematical error, or incurred a debt. If your committee has incurred a debt or obligation, please itemize this debt on Schedule D, show a zero balance on Line 8 of the Summary Page and include the amount on Line 10. If the negative ending cash balance is a result of an overdraft, it may constitute a prohibited bank contribution unless it is made on an account that has automatic overdraft protection with usual and customary interest rates and a definite repayment schedule. Please file an amendment to your report to accurately disclose your financial activities.

The answer to the August 28 letter is due on October 2.

If you missed the bake sale or the bikini car wash, you can support Little’s campaign by purchasing a lawn sign for $26.

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Gonzalez denies stealing signs. Threatens legal action

Bayshore Tea Party Group founder Barbara Gonzalez said “I have never done that and I never would” regarding the report on MMM on Saturday that a Cullari for Congress volunteer said she and BTPG activist Joe Abbruscato were spotted stealing Cullari’s signs in Middletown.

In an email to MMM Gonzalez said her attorney advised her to request a retraction and an apology or proof that she stole the signs.

On facebook Gonzalez threatened to sue Cullari’s Middlesex County coordinator Peter Carrol, campaign manager Charles Measley and “a certain blogger” unless proof of the allegations is produced by 9PM.

MMM contacted the campaign volunteer who says he witnessed the theft at about 7:40 PM on Friday.  He said he “definately saw Joey with the signs.  Barbara’s Jeep was pulled over so she was likely around.”

Rob Little, the former Highlands Mayor’s husband, called MMM shortly after our report was posted to say that Gonzalez was with him all night on Friday and that she could not have been involved in the theft.  MMM immediately updated the report with Little’s story.

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Just A Little White Oversight

Anna’s Little campaign has finally addressed the missing FEC paperwork.

Politickernj reports that a campaign volunteer told them that the paperwork had been filed nine months ago and that a paperwork backlog at the FEC was to blame.  A spokesperson for the FEC denied there was a backlog and said that everything filed by Little had been processed by the agency.

Finally, Rob Little, the former mayor’s husband, admitted to Politickernj that the required paperwork for her congressional campaign has not been filed.

A spokesperson for the campaign said the failure to file the required paperwork was an oversight that would be corrected immediately and Rob Little said it would be filed before Tuesday’s primary, according to Politickernj.

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