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6 February 2012

Diane Smith beats Rehberg for highest “Information Requested” percentage

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.

Table 1: Diane Smith Itemized Contributions

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