An Associated Press investigation found that Rep. Denny Rehberg under-reported contributions from lobbyists. According to AP reporter Matt Gouras,
…the Rehberg campaign did not list the occupation on 189 contributions for the first nine months of 2011. That’s 13 percent of the 1,400 donations received by the campaign over that time frame.
Democrat Diane Smith was late getting started raising money for her campaign for the nomination for Montana’s seat in the U.S. House, so we only have reports from the last quarter of 2011. But 42 of the 86 contributions in that report, filed with the Federal Elections Commission, list “Information Requested” for the donor’s occupation. That occupation missing rate of 49 percent almost makes Rehberg look like a choir boy.
I have a hunch that a lot of the incompletely documented donations were made at small gathering where a check was dropped into a hat and the donor card not filled out. The social niceties at these affairs preclude pestering donors to fill out their donations forms like good little boys and girls, especially if that cuts into face time with the candidate or requires exchanging a tumbler of scotch for a pen. After the money is safely in the campaign’s account, the donor receives a polite note requesting information. And often the information is supplied.
That probably will happen, but all campaigns have a legal and moral obligation to exercise due diligence. Cards should be followed by telephone calls.
This is Smith’s first campaign and first campaign finance report, so I’m inclined to cut her a little slack. Still, all of those “Information Requested” entries look bad. Were it my campaign, I would obtain and release the employer and occupation data for all donors before someone, a reporter or an adversary, beat me to it.
The data in the table below were obtained from the Federal Elections Commission. My count of 42 “Information Requested” under occupation does not include three duplicate names. The original file contains much more information. I’m presenting only enough to make the point.
City | State | $ Donation | Employer | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Little Rock | AR | 1,000 | Alltel | Executive |
Washington | DC | 500 | ATT | Exec |
Arlington | VA | 500 | Century Link | Information Requested |
West Monroe | LA | 500 | Century Link | Information Requested |
Washington | DC | 500 | Comcast Corp | Attorney |
Arlington | VA | 1,000 | Comcast Corporation | "Sr. VP, Regulatory & State Legislative" |
Arlington | VA | 1,000 | Comcast Corporation | "Sr. VP, Regulatory & State Legislative" |
Washington | DC | 250 | Comstock Consulting LLC | Consultant |
Washington | DC | 1,000 | Core capital Partners | Executive |
Alexandria | VA | 250 | Cricket Communications | "VP, Gov. Affairs" |
Arlington | VA | 500 | CTIA | Information Requested |
Fairfax | VA | 250 | Eagle Mat & Floor Products | Principal |
Hazlehurst | MS | 250 | Georgetown Telephone Company | Telecommunications |
Silver Spring | MD | 500 | Hogan Lovells | Attorney |
Summerville | SC | 350 | Home Telephone Company | Senior VP |
DC | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested | |
Clifford Township | PA | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Jermyn | PA | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Union Dale | PA | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Union Dale | PA | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Washington | DC | 250 | Information Requested | Conultanat |
Washington | DC | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Washington | DC | 250 | Information Requested | Attorney |
Washington | DC | 250 | Information Requested | Attorney |
Bethesda | MD | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Bethesda | MD | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Annapolis | MD | 139.47 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Annapolis | MD | 2,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Springfield | VA | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
250 | Information Requested | Information Requested | ||
Arlington | VA | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Alexandria | VA | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Alexandria | VA | 250 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Alexandria | VA | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Alexandria | VA | 250 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Abingdon | VA | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Leoma | TN | 250 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Jackson | MS | 250 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Bay Springs | MS | 2,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Kalispell | MT | 500 | Information Requested | Real Estate |
Whitefish | MT | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Whitefish | MT | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Whitefish | MT | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Whitefish | MT | 2,500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Whitefish | MT | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Whitefish | MT | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Gonzales | LA | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Little Rock | AR | 2,500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Little Rock | AR | 2,500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Little Rock | AR | 2,500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Sulphur | OK | 1,000 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Manasquan | NJ | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Playa Del Rey | CA | 250 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
La Jolla | CA | 2,500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
La Jolla | CA | 2,500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Anchorage | AK | 500 | Information Requested | Information Requested |
Whitefish | MT | 2,500 | kids | mom |
Whitefish | MT | 2,500 | kids | mom |
Palmer | AK | 500 | Matanuska Telephone Association | CEO |
Arlington | VA | 1,000 | Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti | Lobbyist |
Washington | DC | 250 | Mobile Future | Communications |
Washington | DC | 250 | Mobile Future | Executive Director |
Whitefish | MT | 1,000 | n/a | n/a |
Alexandria | VA | 139.48 | Northfork Strategies | Information Requested |
Alexandria | VA | 2,000 | Northfork Strategies | Information Requested |
Bigfork | MT | 500 | Palomar Engineering | Engineer |
Bigfork | MT | 500 | Palomar Engineering | Engineer |
Arlington | VA | 1,000 | Plus one strategic communications | Information Requested |
Washington | DC | 1,000 | retired | Attorney |
Cary | NC | 1,000 | Retired | Executive |
Whitefish | MT | 2,100 | retired | retired |
Whitefish | MT | 2,500 | retired | retired |
Denver | CO | 1,000 | Retired | Retired |
Denver | CO | 50 | Retired | Retired |
Washington | DC | 500 | RIPON SOCIETY | Information Requested |
Washington | DC | 250 | Self | Global health |
Washington | DC | 250 | self | Consultant |
Chevy Chase | MD | 500 | self | Attorney |
Potomac | MD | 2,500 | self | attorney |
Whitefish | MT | 10 | Self | Self Awesomeness |
Whitefish | MT | 2,490 | Self | Self Awesomeness |
Whitefish | MT | 1,000 | self-employed | Business Consultant |
Alexandria | VA | 250 | T mobile | Attorney |
Arlington | VA | 1,000 | The Joseph Group LLC | Information Requested |
Bethesda | MD | 250 | WBK | Attorney |
Washington | DC | 250 | Wexler & Walker | Senior VP |