Local firefighters PAC gives $5,000 to Neal's campaign for alderman
By Mindy Tate, Editor
mtate@williamsonherald.com
First Ward aldermanic candidate Garry Neal on Tuesday filed an amended campaign disclosure form this week to accurately reflect the $5,000 contribution he received from the Franklin Firefighters Association, a locally registered political action committee.
Franklin Firefighters Association, Local 3758, on Sept. 9 contributed $5,000 to Neal, who is running against incumbent Alderman Bev Burger.
Neal's campaign disclosure was filed Monday, as were those of all the candidates in the Oct. 27 Franklin city election for ward aldermanic seats in all four of the city's wards. The reporting period is for the third quarter of the year, ending Sept. 30.
“It is my understanding that the contribution has been received from the Local Fire Fighters Assoc., #3758 and that Mr. Neal has incorrectly listed the IAFF,” Election Registrar Ann Beard said Tuesday morning. “As per #13 of our Campaign Finance Guidelines for Candidates, on contributions that a candidate may accept from a person or PAC, a person who is seeking a state rep or local office can accept $5000 from a local PAC.
“I have checked with Drew Rawlins, director of Election Finance and he has indicated to me that Mr. Neal should make a correction to his disclosure showing FFFA, Local. I have instructed Mr. Neal to make this correction and he has done so,” she said.
Neal had been the subject of a complaint by Tippett Hollow Court resident Lance Maliszewski, who sent Neal, District Attorney General Kim Helper’s office and local newspapers a letter complaining about Neal’s lack of disclaimers on his campaign materials.
“I wanted to put you on notice that you are in violation of the election laws…,” Maliszewski said. “This law requires that you disclose to the public who is paying for your political advertising. I do not see any such disclosure on any of your signs or campaign materials that has been distributed.”
He gave Neal until Oct. 7 to contact him, the day early voting started, but said in a subsequent email he never heard from Neal although he received the registered letter Oct. 3.
“As indicated in my letter to him, I am a Ward 1 voter and wanted to give him the opportunity to correct the issue, and perhaps, that he contact me to let me know how he planned to correct the problem of disclosure on all of his campaign material,” Maliszewski said, adding he never heard from Neal.
On Oct. 8, Maliszewski sent Neal an email but did not receive a response. On Oct. 9, he made a call to Helper’s office.
“I placed a phone call to the District Attorney’s Office and spoke with The Honorable Kim Helper,” Maliszewski said. “She indicated that she had received a phone call from someone on Mr. Neal’s behalf this (Oct. 7), and that Mr. Neal would be taking care of the problem by placing stickers or some other method of correcting this issue.
“This strikes me as odd as Mr. Neal has admitted his guilt to ignoring the law, knowingly continues to break the law, his guilt in ignoring one if his constituents, and his continued lack of respect of me by not giving me the courtesy as I extended to him, of communicating a problem and offering solutions. I really do not think that this bodes very well for a person who is seeking public office,” Maliszewski said.
By comparison, Burger reported contributions of $9,434, with the majority of those — $5,159 — under $100 or less and therefore unitemized.
Her largest contribution came from automotive dealer R.C. Alexander of Thompson's Station, who gave Burger a total of $750.
In the Third Ward, candidate Greg Caesar reported contributions of $4,045 this period, plus a personal loan to his campaign of $6,000, for total receipts of $10,045. Caesar has $8,726 and has a balance on hand of $1,318.
Following behind Caesar is incumbent Third Ward Alderman Mike Skinner, who reported $3,014 in contributions this period, plus loans to himself of $1,173. He has paid back almost all of those loans and has a balance on hand of $2,334.
Another Third Ward challenger, Jason Thomas DeStein, reported contributions of $225 this reporting period, which when added to his balance on hand, left him with $355 for the days leading up to the election.
The final Third Ward challenger, Scott Ware, reported he had donated $1,632 to his campaign which matched his disbursements.
In the Fourth Ward, where incumbent Alderman Dan Klatt is not seeking reelection, retired Franklin Special School District teacher Margaret Martin reported contributions of $6,112 this period, including $500 each from Reese L. Smith III, Stephen B. Smith and Tim Downey, all real estate developers in the area.
Her opponent, Thomas Smithson, reported no contributions or expenditures during the period although he did report $10 on hand for his campaign.
In the Second Ward, where incumbent Alderman Dana McLendon is running unopposed, he reported having $175 on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and spending $100, although he did not list on what.
Posted on: 10/15/2009
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