According to Lake County Republican Chairman Dan Venturi, who filed the complaint against Bond with the FEC, Bond has declared himself a congressional candidate and expended money on behalf of his candidacy -- without timely filing the proper paperwork and disclosures (due 15 days after declaring one's candidacy). Venturi notes that, as reported by Team America some time ago, Bond has reserved a website address and several draft pages of the site can be accessed (although not by design, it appears).
In addition, it is beyond question that Bond officially declared himself a candidate weeks ago (April 29), as evidenced by a press release and statements to the media. According to Venturi, Bond's campaign could be subject to a fine for failure to properly and timely file his disclosures.
You can read the complaint and other documents, including the FEC letter sent to Venturi to confirm the initiation of the investigation (MUR 6195), here.
A recent search of the FEC database reveals that a campaign committee has been established for Bond, with a Brett P. Smiley (apparently of Rhode Island... what's up with that?) as its treasurer, but the committee statement of organization (FEC Form 1) was filed only as of June 1, 2009 (when Bond announced in late April). Bond later finally filed his FEC Form 2 (Statement of Candidacy) as of June 9, 2009. Bond signed the Form 2 and mailed it on June 3, 2009, which was after Venturi's complaint was received by the FEC. Whoops.Bond has 15 days from the receipt of the notice letter from the FEC to write to it and try to explain why no action should be taken for being egregiously late with his filing. You can learn more about the FEC complaint procedure here.
For anyone who thinks this is a lot of hooey about nothing, the left has made no bones about making this an issue when it suits them. I don't know where this rates on the FEC penalty scale, but it sure isn't good to begin your campaign by proving you can't timely file your paperwork and have to explain yourself to the FEC after the GOP calls you on it.
UPDATED: FEC Complaint Procedure: We've been taking some heat in cyberspace for talking about the Venturi complaint and whether it was sufficient under the law. The issue is whether Bond needed to pass a $5,000 fundraising threshold to be considered a "candidate" under the election code, regardless of the fact that he publicly and clearly declared himself a candidate. Here's the bottom line- the FEC guidance on filing a complaint states the following:
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) reviews each complaint to determine whether it states a violation within the jurisdiction of the Commission and satisfies the above criteria for a proper complaint. If the complaint does not meet these requirements, OGC notifies the complainant of the deficiencies.
Once a complaint is deemed sufficient, OGC assigns it a Matter Under Review (MUR) number, acknowledges receipt of the complaint and informs the complainant that the Commission will notify him or her when the entire case is resolved. Until then, the Commission is required by law to keep its actions regarding the MUR confidential."
The FEC, at least, determined that the complaint was sufficient such that it was not returned to Venturi for deficiencies, and was assigned a MUR number. The ball is now in Michael Bond's court to try to weasel out of this. I am by no means suggesting the FEC's actions to date are a review of the complaint on the merits, but if Venturi's allegations were as facially deficient as some would have you believe, why would the complaint have gotten this far?
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26 comments:
Looks like the chipmunk found a tool.
Smiley looks like something out of the california penal league. No ties to the obama cash cow machine, or any national democrats of any standing. This guy lost to a republican in rhode island which is like spelling your name wrong on the sat's.
On the minus side doesn't look like we'll get to take a piece out of patrick mogge for a third time. A shame.
Brett Smiley is the Founder and President of Campaign Finance Officers, LLC. Brett has traversed the country as a professional Campaign Manager and fundraiser. After starting his career as an accountant, he fell into political campaign work in his hometown of Chicago. In 2004, he managed the 'House Upset of the Year', the defeat of Phil Crane by now Congresswoman Melissa Bean. After nearly toppling a popular incumbent in the 2006 Rhode Island Governor's race, he founded Campaign Finance Officers.
In the past cycle, CFO has helped nearly a dozen candidates and PACs meet their finance, accounting and compliance goals. CFO has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for its clients and saved thousands more with its efficient and effective back office management.
His background in managing everything from a hundred thousand dollar county board campaign to a multimillion dollar governorship, gives him the perspective to service clients of all scales. Rare for a campaign professional, Brett holds an MBA and a degree in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago. His corporate finance experience and education sets him apart as an expert strategist.
http://www.campaignfinanceofficers.com/index.php?Path=Public/Services
FOKLAES
Talk about farting out of the gate.
Pay attention Team Am...
Brett is Bond's campaign manager. He's worked on campaigns as far away as in California and as next door as the 8th district, managing Melissa Bean's second campaign which knocked out Phil Crane.
And you and Venturi need to read the rest of the election code. Bond didn't have to file anything until he reached $5000 (received or spent), not from when he announces.
But as long as you can get some compliant media hacks and your anonymous commenters all lathered up your goal of fudging the truth will be achieved, eh?
Why are you guys so worried about Bond already?
You are all wrong. If you actually read the Roll Call article, you would see that former Bean staffer Brian Herman is the campaign manager.
Brett Smiley left the fray of fur-flying campaigns to do federal campaign compliance. His title is "Treasurer" of Bond for Congress. That amounts to filing reports, not managing a campaign. He has multiple clients other than Bond.
Herman is overrated. Members of Congress get to the point where they really don't want to be in office anymore and really don't care and crane had reached well beyond that point, 12 years before when Peter Fitzgerald nearly beat him. McSweeney and Greenburg were flakes that flunked in tough gop cycles. If Herman was top shelf he would have been recruited to serve in the obama administration and have a west wing office, not trying to prop up springfield stooges.
Still the fact that Donald Rumsfeld's seat is under threat is the latest indictment against McKenna who probably didn't even carry his own preccinct for mccain in 2008. McKenna is finished after 2010.
Smiley boasts of raising thousands of dollars,a mediocre haul for that level. Deerfield High School charity drive which brings in about 200,000 dollars a year probably gets more than this cat.
It's a c team for a d- candidate with subpar credentials. We look forward to seeing him join lee goodman and pup.
FOKLAES
Bond is as crooked as his mentors, Terry "Dead Guy" Link and "Sneaky" Pete Couvall
Team Garrett hates Bond
Bond stands no chance. Let's hope Kirk runs for Senate, because there is a great replacement in waiting for the 10th: Lisa Stone for Congress
I think you'll find that Lisa Stone is a registered Democrat. She is an activist, trying to change the Buffalo Grove City Council. Perhaps a bit soon for Lisa to do anything of substance. One needs to earn their way to a seat at the table.
In Illinois, you are neither a registered Democrat nor a registered Republican...you are either registered to vote or not. She may have pulled a Democratic ballot during a primary indicating that she would vote Democratic in the general election.
Anon 9:38, are you suggesting that if our Congressman decides to make a run for the Senate that you honestly think Lisa Stone would be the right choice? If there is a Democrat in the wings, it will be Susan Garrett. Stone has a long way to go and a steep learning curve.
Anon 12:37 when you vote in IL in a Primary you DO select either a Republican or a Democrat ballot. That only obligates you in the Primary and has nothing to do with how you vote in the General. If you check the voting records, Ms. Stone has pulled a Democrat ballot for Primaries for several years. No biggie, just understand that she is a newcomer, would rely on her Democrat friends and background should she decide to get herself involved. I don't see her as a viable candidate, at least not yet, but she is a Democrat.
after all the bad press lisa got for her unruly antics in the OTB debate I doubt a campaign would end well for her. She has already shown she can't handle power.
Anonymous #3 - Fair enough. I really wasn't paying close attention to this race yet. Both Herman and Smiley do appear to be affiliated with the campaign at this point though. Not sure if they're on payroll or not yet.
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Team Am - In response to your "update"... Even John Bambenek's much-mocked FEC complaint received a case number and "consideration" before he the FEC board slapped him silly for wasting their time.
He too apparently failed to actually read the rules and prior decisions before filing his bogus complaint.
Rob- no one's going to slap me silly. It's not my complaint.
But, in any case, maybe before you and Archpundit fall over yourselves defending Bond, you guys should wait and see what happens with the investigation. May turn out to be nothing. But then again, it might not.
Team America is an opposition research force unmatched in the 10th. He unraveled the seals campaign and is likely to do so to bond. There is nothing like him on the democrat side and bond should prepare for death by 1,000 posts.
The best replacement for Mark would either be a kirk staffer such as Ed P. Kelly, Doug O'Brian, or Reed Bundy or rep. beth coulsen, not this stone woman. People know respect and trust the kirk/porter brand and prefer it to the extremists that may or may not have a leader living off sheridan road in highland park near the train station.
FOKLAES
FOKLAES
Lisa Stone is not credible. The Mayor of Wilmette, Chris Canning, is looking at it and would make a winning choice against Suzie Garrett
Without defending Sen. Bond, it seems like Mr. Venturi either sees a formidable candidate in Bond or he is trying to make it easier for Alan Keyes or Jack Ryan to pursue the 10th District seat (unless the reason former Governor Thompson wants George Ryan out of jail is to run in the 10th District race). That, is of course, if Mr. Patriot and Diplomat Mark Kirk chooses to leave his current professional digs.
Incomplete and incorrect intelligence is acceptable for this 'Intelligence Officer?' Numerous budgetary processes AICPA would never dream of using vis-a-vis the Bush Administration doesn't get a peep out of him and now Kirk is a finance EXPERT! (not including the cost of wars in annual budgets, under-estimating the cost and benefit of the Medicare Reform Act, and playing around with the size and organizational chart of the federal government - can you say Coast Guard being under DHS?)
I call Mr. Kirk a key example of the Cheney School of Moral Relativism (i.e. we're at war - the heck with the Constitution, fiscal conservativeness unless we're cutting taxes for the rich and corporations, and government is the problem except when people like McCain advocate for using it to benefit Keating).
Also, I was 'sorry' to hear that the Party of supposedly superior morals and 'family values' has lost another leader in Mr. Ensign.
For those of you scoring at home, Mr. Ensign joins Mr. Hyde, Mr. Burton and Mr. Vitter (who are still serving as Republicans in Congress), Mr. Gingrich, and probably others. And I can't wait until Mrs. Palin's daughter runs for office under the banner of the GOP's family values that should apparently be the basis for every law in the land.
The Politics of Rumour and Inuendo, some things in Lake County never change. Why would you even post this on your blog without even back checking the SBOE regs? just to smear the Senator?
Rabid Dogs
Iraq is over except to a few unfortunate liberal souls whose greatest days and bongs are behind them.
Mayors generally have a tough go of it in running for the 10th. Dan Pierce of HP put it into consideration to challenge ol john porter a few times and never had the stones. Kirk obviously wiped the floor with damisch, so it may be a tough haul.
This email this afternoon btw shows that some people just don't know when to give it up.
FOKLAES
You are invited to march with the Northbrook Peace and Justice Committee in the 4th of July parade.
We have marched in this parade for several years now, and each year we have gotten an increasingly enthusiastic reception from the crowd. But now, many Americans, justifiably worried about jobs and their retirements, pay little attention to our continuing military occupation or to efforts to make peace in the world.
The Obama administration has called on citizens to be involved in our democracy, so even if you have never marched in a parade before, you are needed now. The killing continues and top military officials are openly saying our armed forces will be in the Middle East for another ten years. It is time to renew the public call to stop the fighting and the bombing. The U.S. Congress keeps voting to fund the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan instead of paying for healthcare and other needs here in the U.S. and abroad. Our government in Washington needs to hear our voices – and those in the community that our presence in the parade inspires – reminding them that peace is a top priority.
Let's make an impression and energize our neighbors. The parade steps off at 2:30 pm at the corner of Western and Cherry in Northbrook. Please call or email me if you will be joining us so that I can give you more details.
Thank you,
Lee Goodman 847-559-9525
Gee Lee Goodman, last I checked:
You lost your election for Congress
and
America finally won in Iraq.
You seem hung up on that and wished it was the other way around.
Interesting how Obama is continuing so many of those "evil" Bush policies since being elected to office. Interesting how Obama's claims that he will make the government more transparent have lead to press complaints that the White House has become even more secretive than the "evil" Bush. The Obama administration won't even tell us who is "visiting" the White House these days.
Interesting how Obama in Cairo in his "groundbreaking speech" said he wouldn't push Democracy upon the Middle Eastern dictatorships (and got a standing ovation for that statement) yet now that Iranians are rioting in the streets over their rigged elections, the leader of the largest and greatest democracy the world has ever seen says nothing to those who are taking their lives in their own hands demanding a fair count of ballots. The same Obama who would not impose any conditions on any goverment, except for Israel on the settlement issue and ceding even more land to terrorists who seek to exterminate her.
In the meantime our tanked economy continues to lanquish after trillions of "stimulus" funds were spent and various corporate entities are nationalized or taken over by the gang that can't shoot straight.
Ah yes, "change we can believe in." The change really is government by smoke and mirrors. Like what we now have in Springfield, Cook County and Chicago.
Interesting now how the Democrats attack the GOP in the 10th District by raising the names of Keyes, George and Jack Ryan. These same Democrats in the meantime show a eerie comfort level with the Democrats in Springfield, Cook County and Chicago who have demonstrated their fiscal irresponsibility and inability to govern, while rejecting all attempts at strengthening ethics and reducing and ending corruption. Watch them continue to giggle when complaints are filed against them! When the heat gets turned up they claim lack of knowledge (Richard Daley's favorite tactic) or that the complaint is "frivolous." We saw that answer before with petition fraud and dead people.
They now have expanded that same eerie comfort level to Washington, D.C.
I have no problem seeing Michael Bond run in the 10th. I have no problem with Susan Garrett running in the 10th. I have no problem with Dan Seals running in the 10th. I have no problem with any other Democrat who wishes to run in the 10th.
All of the "announced" or "semi-announced" Democrats noted above tend to avoid large serious issues like balanced budgets and responsible governing and like to focus on the comfort food of politics (Diner Food Politics) that folks have a hard time arguing against. Like environmental issues as an example. "I'm for clean water!" (Well, who isn't?) Playing it safe while avoiding tough issues. Putting out newsletters and press releases extolling their "successes" while never mentioning the 12 billion pound gorilla (budget crises) that threatens to destroy state government and local governments that they are pretending doesn't exist.
Being an adult in a legislative environment is difficult. An adult would say "great idea, but how are we going to pay for it?" followed by "we can't do this until we have the money to do it." Bond and Garrett have spent years voting for budgets using pretend revenues that never materialized, and not funding pensions by claiming "holidays" from making such payments. Budgets that spent faster and faster than the economy was growing. Now that the economy has contracted, they don't want to cut a thing out of the bloated government they supported, and don't want to raise taxes either.
Local Democrats criticize Springfield Republicans for demanding cuts but not supporting tax increases.
Bond and Garrett refuse to cut and refuse to support a tax increase. Dan Seals campaigned the same way.
It will be an interesting election cycle. All finger pointing and no problem solving. The party in charge is going to have to realize that finger pointing and no problem solving is not a very good platform to run on.
Louis G. Atsaves
Bond endorsed Blagojevich
Garrett endorsed Blagojevich
'nuff said
Brilliant. Your criticism of Bond and Garrett are "Endorsed Blagojevich, Nuff said."
If were going to slander endorsing a fellow Democrat, who was running for Gov, before they both voted to remove him from office, then I'll say the same for Kirk. Everyone knows about his politically convenient coziness with Bush. Granted Blago is no Bush, but then again hard to say that being responsible for massive economic failure, torture, and endless war is much different then selling favors. Who’s the better endorsement now? "Nuff Said.”
We’ll need some bug spray to fight off Venturi. He seems to think he can keep that seat for the Republicans by being a gnat on Bond’s rear end. This is the best Lake County Republicans can do? Instead of a decent candidate to follow Kirk, you’ve got a Township Supervisor, with an identity crisis. What a joke.
Team Am,
Who's defending Bond?
I'm pointing out the ridiculousness of Venturi's complaint and your rabid promotion of it.
Mr. Venturi has yet to produce any evidence that Bond met the threshold outside of the filing timeframe...
Where are the canceled checks totaling more than $5000?
Where are the donors who contributed more than $5000?
Anyone can accuse somebody of breaking the law ... without evidence it's a false accusation.
Rob_N: I missed your comment from a few days ago. Venturi cited circumstantial evidence in his complaint that clearly suggests Bond may have exceeded the $5000 threshold before filing. Roll Call cited his assembly of a high-powered campaign team - are these people working for free? Or are they OK with their names being thrown around without being paid a retainer to lock them up? Bond was also caught by this very page designing a website that he mistakenly allowed draft pages to be viewed by the public, again well in advance of filing his paperwork. In addition, although not mentioned in the complaint, the word on the street is that Bond has been working HARD to raise money from some interesting sources (much more on that to come).
Fact is, ordinary citizens have no access to the kind of evidence -- cancelled checkes, etc. -- you seem to think must be in hand before filing a complaint. There's no way to get that stuff at this stage of the game and you know it. Aha, you say, Venturi should have waited until Bond's financial disclosures came out. What if Bond was not honest? If the face of contradictory circumstantial evidence such as that presented by Venturi, it's the FEC's job to sort it out.
Let's see what the FEC investigation reveals, and then we'll see who's been overzealous here.
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