Yesterday’s Topeka Capital-Journal published an article about a possible $15,000 fine against the ProKanDo PAC in Wichita. The article explains two possible charges that will be the subject of a Nov 19 civil hearing.
The state’s most influential pro-choice political action committee could be fined up to $15,000 for obscuring the identity of hundreds of donors on reports submitted to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, a state official said Tuesday.
This was the subject of an Aug 20, 2007 Meadowlark article: How the names of political contributors of over $52,000 were hidden on the ProKanDo PAC Reports . This article gives many details of the hidden contributions
Since Nov 2007 I have given six public talks about political money in Kansas that included this information. Here is my updated PowerPoint slide about this matter:
The $52,000 figure from the Aug 2007 article grew to over $71,000 when the 2007 ProKanDo contribution report was filed in Jan 2008. See below:
The “Received” date stamp on the amended report below is illegible, and the signed date appears to be Aug 28, 2008. Note the contributions and expenditures in the amended report increased by $18,825
The additional expenditures in the amended report were to Hudson Bay Company of Illinois, a company in Minnesota, that has a calling center in Nebraska:
Apparently, ProKanDo knew about this allegation for some time since their July 28, 2008 report was filed correctly with $44,813 in telemarketing expenses to Hudson bay Company of Illinois (in Minnesota). Why the Ethics Commission never has shown an Errors or Omissions notice sent to ProKanDo is not understood.
The second charge reported yesterday by the Topeka Capital:
The second violation against the PAC centers on its failure to list an occupation for more than 110 donors who gave at least $150 each, Williams said. Normally, she said, the commission challenges any politician or group leaving more than five occupation lines blank on a report of contributors.
Part of this information was published by the Meadowlark on March 15, 2008 in a detailed report, Summary of Contributions and Expenditures of Kansas Political Action Committees (PACs) (see endnote in separate table for “ProKanDo Comments.”).
Occupation not given for 68 contributors giving $33,650(an average of almost $500). [Required to report if contribution more than $150]. In addition to Stanleys (mentioned above), occupation is missing for Jack Ranson, a former ProKanDo contributor, who gave $1000 and who worked with ProKanDo on their related PAC, Kansans for a Moderate Government, in 2004 to oppose certain State Senators. ProKanDoknows who Jack Ranson is.
Missing addresses: 14 contributions show no address. Contribution Address mysteries: $5331 Reimbursement from Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection was from home address of Julie Burkhart; $67 Reimbursement from Julie Burkhart but was from the home address of John and Cheryl Carmichael (connected to Wichita Voters for Truth PAC in 2006); $100 Reimbursement from Kansas Equality Coalition from the home address of Julie Burkhart; $100 Reimbursement from Julie Burkhart with no address.
What’s STILL Missing?
Carol Williams, Executive Director of the Kansas Government Ethics Commision, has not commented on an E-mail I sent her on Oct 17, 2008:
Dear Ms. Williams:
You may recall that when we first met in late August 2007 I explained how there had been three large money transfers by ProKanDo reported on IRS 8872 forms, but not reported on the ProKanDo PAC reports for 2006. I followed up in early Sept 2007 with an E-mail giving you all the details of these transfers from the IRS 8872 reports.
[graphics from IRS 8872 sent as part of E-mail]
Where can I get the ProKanDo Errors and Omissions report where these three transfers were reported? I’ve looked online but perhaps I missed it.
If ProKanDo has not filed an Errors and Omissions report for these transfers, why are they allowed to operate their PAC without making these corrections?
Thank you for any information about this.
Sincerely,|
E. F. Glynn
Information about these huge political money transfers was reported in a Meadowlark article on Aug 20, 2007: Strange political money transfers between ProKanDo PAC and Young Democrats of America 527. A follow-up article was published on July 2, 2008: Kansas Ethics Commission ignores missing $25,000 payment by PAC?
Where is the Ethics Commission action on this matter NOW?
I sent an E-mail to Tim Carpenter of the Capital-Journal on Jan 29, 2008 with this information in an attachment:
4. The Commission erred in allowing a PAC to hide contributor information for $52,508 through the use of a telemarketing firm. Information about this was provided to the Commission but the PAC was not required to comply with state law in reporting contributor information. Only the name of the telemarketing firm was given. Can any PAC now hide contributors by simply using a telemarketing firm?
This E-mail attachment, and my testimony at a Kansas Senate hearing in March 2008, will be the subject of the next Meadowlark article.
Related:
- ProKanDo: Using Patient Names to Raise Monies?, Stand With Truth, Oct 22, 2008.
- New ethics commissioner in Kansas. Updated political profile of Ethics Commission, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 30, 2008.
- IRS stonewalls investigation of Kansas non-profits active in politics in 2006, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 2, 2008.
- Missing Campaign Finance Reports, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 1, 2008.
- Kansas Ethics Commission can’t find political activist, who didn’t file PAC report, but newspapers can?, Kansas Meadowlark, July 1, 2008.
- “Wichita Voters for Truth” Political Action Committee Ignores Reporting Requirements. Can any Kansas PAC now use this reporting scam?, Kansas Meadowlark, Dec 10, 2007.
- Integrity of Kansas Elections Less Important to IRS than “Privacy Rights” of Groups Abusing Non-Profit Laws, Kansas Meadowlark, Nov 16, 2007.
- How can the Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection “non-profit” legally give $34,000 to the ProKanDo PAC?, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 25, 2007.
- The ProKanDo PAC raised and spent more political money than any other Kansas PAC, but wasn’t listed in the top 20 PACs in Kansas in 2006?, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 20, 2007.
- Were ProKanDo’s award winning political phone calls, “In the Dog House,”
paid for by a PAC or a Nonprofit?, Kansas Meadowlark, Mar 22, 2007. - Weak Kansas Laws Allow “Heavy” Missouri Group to Hide Their Political Involvement in Kansas Politics, Kansas Meadowlark, Mar 21,2007.
- The Snoop Dog Page, Kansas Meadowlark, Oct 29, 2006.
- Kansas Governmental Ethics Office Goes Easy on Violations
by Tiller’s PACs?, Kansas Meadowlark, Mar 10, 2005. - The paragraph deleted today: Tiller and his ProKanDo PAC Used Health Records from Clinic for Fundraising, Kansas Meadowlark, Feb 25, 2005.
Tags: Ethics, ProKanDo PAC
