Is Jeffer-Sam Smith bending another set of rules?
We've been looking through the campaign finance reports of some of the Portland mayoral candidates, and there's all sorts of interesting stuff there. One little tidbit that's cropped up is interesting -- since Jefferson Smith declared his candidacy in late summer, his campaign has paid $2,400 to the Democratic Party of Oregon, of which his stepmother is chair. In what's supposed to be a nonpartisan race, that raises our eyebrow.
| Posted at 7:46 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
Web hosting?
Posted by Andrew | December 2, 2011 8:08 AM
What I still don't get is how one candidate can give money from their election committee to some other candidate or group. Though it is allowed, there seems to be something inherently wrong about this practice. If I give money to a candidate or campaign, I want assurance that the money will stay with that group and not be given to another person or cause I don't like. How can this be right?
Posted by Nolo | December 2, 2011 8:26 AM
Uhhh... PDX politicians are partisan? Shocked that there is gambling at Rick's place, too?
Posted by zonedar | December 2, 2011 8:32 AM
This is a case of one organization offering lower cost services to other campaigns. If you look at the expenditure line item for the largest payment, it says "software". Other items say "other advertising". The software expense I expect would be purchase of software services for accessing voter files and generating walking, mailing and phoning lists. This is a service the Democratic Party has offered to all candidates who are registered Democrats, so I wouldn't be too surprised if you see the same expense from other candidates (in fact, given the fact that it can save a campaign money, I would be surprised if other candidates who are registered Democrats don't make use of it.) The Advertising line items are also common for campaigns to purchase ad space in party publications or websites. To imply that there is something unusual about a candidate wanting to advertise their campaign indicates a lack of understanding about how candidates run for office.
Posted by Jim Robison | December 2, 2011 10:40 AM
It's a nonpartisan race. He's buying advertising by, through, or from the Democratic Party? Which just happens to be all his parents' cronies? Stinks to high heaven.
Posted by Jack Bog | December 2, 2011 10:45 AM
Round up the usual suspects....
Posted by tankfixer | December 2, 2011 5:40 PM
So what does it matter and who really cares? It will be an ubber leftist Democrat no matter who runs for Mayor. Portland has done nothing but scrape the bottom of the barrel for years. What surprises me is how the bottom can be continuously scraped and still dredge up these clowns without ever reaching bottom.
Posted by Rusty | December 2, 2011 8:26 PM
The above Rusty's message does not necessarily reflect the opinion of all Rustys who post here (though it may).
Posted by Rusty | December 3, 2011 3:57 PM
In what's supposed to be a nonpartisan race, that raises our eyebrow.
"...eyebrow..."?
You're plural, yet you have only the one...?
Miraculous!
Posted by cc | December 4, 2011 9:41 PM