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.
The Menendez for Senate campaign spent $1812 with the flight tracking website, FlightAware, in December, according to the campaign’s year end report with the Federal Election Commission. (hat tip, The Auditor) The expense was listed as a disbursement for the senator’s 2018 primary campaign.
A Premium+ commercial membership to FlightAware costs $39.95 per month. Perhaps Menendez pre-paid for a 45.36 month subscription? More likely, as The Auditor speculated, Menendez was doing a review of the flights taken on Dr. Salomon Melgen’s private jet. In January of this year Menendez reported that he took two flights on Melgen’s jet in 2010 and belated reimbursed his generous benefactor $58,500 for the luxury travel with personal funds. FlightAware offers custom reports in addition to its monthly subscription service.
Menendez must have a memory problem if he couldn’t remember taking the two private flights. Or maybe he files on lots of private jets. Or maybe Melgen was too busy with the FBI to check his records for Menendez on the exact date and time of the flights. Either way, its good that Menendez got the information in preparation for his 2018 primary campaign.
Menendez is taking the 2018 primary campaign very seriously. In addition to his research in to his own travel habits, the Menendez campaign spent $3,978.73 on T-shirts to secure the nomination in five years, according to the FEC report.
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.
“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.
Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett & Middlesex County Republican Chairman Samuel Thompson
cordially invite you to join them for An Evening with Anna Little Featuring Nationally Recognized Political Commentator, Author, and True Patriot
~ Christine O’Donnell ~
Please Join Us at Lakeside Manor Tuesday, August 14th From 6:00 PM – 8:00PM 410 Route 36 Hazlet, New Jersey 07730
Patriot Ticket $250
Co-Host Sponsorship $2,500
Other Sponsorships Available – Please Call for Details
~ RSVP TODAY – Space is Limited ~
Call 732-658-5461
Please Mail Event Contribution Checks To: Friends of Anna Little P.O. Box 382, Highlands, NJ 07732
Please Include: Employer and Occupation in the memo line (Information Required by Federal/State Law – if self employed list ‘self’ and industry ie: Attorney)
~Thank You to Our Host Committee ~
Municipal Chair of Old Bridge, Anita Greenburg, Assemblyman Rob Clifton, President of Affiliated Republican Club Wayne Pomanowski & Mayor Fred Rast of Atlantic Highlands
In case you blocked it out, O’Donnell was the 2010 Tea Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Delaware who scored an upset primary victory over former Governor Mike Castle before going on to lose badly to Christopher Coons, costing the GOP the opportunity to take what had been Joe Biden’s Senate seat. Castle was considered a sure victor in the general election had he been the nominee.
O’Donnell was a deeply flawed candidate.
The NJ media has compared Little to O’Donnell too often. Once would have been too often. Now the comparisons will inevitably start again. The only thing that could prevent The Star Ledger’s Tom Moran or Politickernj from making such a comparison is if Little fails to get enough traction against Frank Pallone to warrant any ink.
Governor Chris Christie campaigned for Castle in 2010.
He also appeared at least two fund raisers for Little in 2010. Those weren’t catering hall fund raisers. They were held at elegant waterfront private homes. This news makes one wonder about Bennett’s and Thompson’s clout with the Governor. This one makes one wonder if Christie will be stumping for Little in October.
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.
