Kansas law is quite peculiar in letting out-of-state PACs have fewer reporting requirements than in-state PACs. Out-of-state groups are allowed to spend huge amounts on Kansas politics and not have their “verified statements” shown online. There is no online list of out-of-state PACs that get to hide their political participation in Kansas’ elections. As previously reported by the Meadowlark recently, some of these out-of-state PACs should be listed in the “Top 20″ list of Kansas PACs, but this does not happen.
In a preliminary look at the verified statements filed in 2008, over $500,000 of political money is not being reported online to the public for out-of-state PACs. A huge $100,000 transfer was reported on a single sheet of paper, but was never published online. Why?
Table 1 below shows that out-of-state PACs reported contributions of $459,438 on verified statements. Table 2 shows that in-state Kansas PACs reported $62,657 on verified statements instead of normal reporting required of Kansas PACs.
A single-page verified statement showed a single $100,000 contribution by the SEIU PAC to Gov. Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund PAC. See Figure 1 (below). The Bluestem PAC spent that money to support Democrats and oppose Republicans in a number of legislative races, yet the out-of-state SEIU PAC’s $100,000 contribution is not published online for voters to know about?
“Verified statements” can only be reviewed by visiting the Secretary of State’s Office in Topeka, and asking the right questions to the right persons.
Verified statements normally show amounts of money raised in Kansas, or raised for use in Kansas, and the amount spent in Kansas. However, in at least one case, an out-of-state PAC never filed a complete statement of their political money in any state.
Representatives from both the Ethics Commission and the Secretary of State’s Office commented that I’m the only one to ever ask about verified statements. Since I spent quite some time studying political money in Kansas before I knew enough to ask about these reports, isn’t it highly likely few people know these reports exist?
Do Kansas legislators really want to let out-of-state PACs have fewer reporting requirements than in-state PACs?
Figure 1. HUGE $100,000 contribution
from SEIU to Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund PAC
SEIU gave $125,000 to the Bluestem Fund PAC in the last year
The Form LM-2 filed by SEIU National Headquarters in 2007 with the U.S. Department of Labor showed $32,935,792 spent on political activities and lobbying. A very large $100,000 sent to Kansas would likely be only a small part of the money SEIU spent nationally on politics in 2008, based on the amount of money SEIU had in 2007. The SEIU Headquarters LM-2 is not yet available for 2008.
SEIU National Headquarters LM-2 Summary for 2007
| Total Assets | Total Liabilities | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total Members |
| $184,194,722 | $119,993,553 | $276,041,729 | $264,725,626 | 1,691,973 |
LM-2 forms can be viewed online at a U.S. Department of Labor web site. For SEIU LM-2s, select Union Abbreviation “SEIU” on this page.
Preliminary Summary of Verified Statements Filed in 2008
Table 1. Out-of-State PACs Filing Verified Statements
|
$
|
Political Action Committee
Not Registered in Kansas |
City
|
State
|
|
?
|
Aetna Inc. Political Action Committee | Hartford | CT |
|
$8,000
|
American Insurance Association State Corporate PAC | Washington | DC |
|
$15,779
|
Communications Workers of America COPE PCC | Washington | DC |
| ? | DRIVE — Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education | Washington | DC |
|
$3,500
|
EMILY’s List | Washington | DC |
|
$5,350
|
General Motors Corporation Political Action Committee (GM PAC) | Washington | DC |
|
?
|
HSBC North America Political Action Committee (H-PAC) | Washington | DC |
|
$15,000
|
International Association of Fire Fighters FIREPAC PAC Non-Federal | Washington | DC |
|
$21,394
|
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) COPE | Washington | DC |
|
$2,000
|
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Political Action Together Political Committee | Washington | DC |
|
$125,000
|
Service Employees International Union Politcal Education and Action Fund | Washington | DC |
|
$25,000
|
United Association Political Action Committee | Washington | DC |
|
$7,648
|
Bank of America Corporation State and Federal PAC | Wilmington | DE |
| ? | PCI Political Account (missing city; deduced from area code) | Chicago | IL |
|
$7,000
|
Property Casualty Insurers State Political Account | Des Plaines | IL |
| ? | Deere & Company Political Action Committee (AKA John Deere PAC) | Moline | IL |
| ? | Allstate Insurane Company Political Action Committee | Northbrook | IL |
|
$2,500
|
Midwest Region Laborers’ Political League | Springfield | IL |
|
$15,000
|
BP Corporation North America Inc. Political Action Committee | Warrensville | IL |
| ? | Eli Lilly and Company Political Action Committee | Indianapolis | IN |
|
$250
|
HDR, Inc. Political Action Committee | Detroit, MI | MI |
|
$6,895
|
USBankcorp Political Participation Program | Minneapolis | MN |
|
?
|
Carpenters Local Union 1925 Political Fund | Columbia | MO |
|
$1,000
|
Carpenters Local Union #777 Separate Segregated Fund | Harrisonville | MO |
|
$5,000
|
KC-SCI PAC | Harrisonville | MO |
|
$1,000
|
Local Union #777 Separate Segregated Funds (Carpenters Union) | Harrisonville | MO |
|
$1,200
|
Asbestos Workers Local 27 Political Account | Independence | MO |
|
$1,500
|
Carpenters Local 3129 PAC | Independence | MO |
|
$7,500
|
Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council PAC | Independence | MO |
| ? | Carpenters for (illegible) Legislation | Jefferson City | MO |
|
$3,000
|
Carpenters Local Union No. 945 PAC | Jefferson City | MO |
| ? | Carpenters Local 311 PAC Fund | Joplin | MO |
|
$14,650
|
Builders’ Association Political Action Committee | Kansas City | MO |
| ? | Carpenters District Council of Kansas City & Vicinity Political Fund | Kansas City | MO |
|
$5,250
|
Cerner Corporation PAC | Kansas City | MO |
| ? | Citizens for Responsible Government | Kansas City | MO |
|
$7,600
|
Commerce Bancshares, Inc., PAC | Kansas City | MO |
| ? | Heavy Constructors Association Local Political Action Committee | Kansas City | MO |
| ? | HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | Kansas City | MO |
|
$8,775
|
IBEW Local Union 124 Voluntary PAC | Kansas City | MO |
|
$4,450
|
Iron Workers Local Union No 10 PAC | Kansas City | MO |
|
$43,300
|
KCP&L Power PAC — Kansas | Kansas City | MO |
|
$6,750
|
Local Union 53, I.B.E.W Voluntary Political Fund | Kansas City | MO |
|
$40,575
|
Pipefitters’ Local Union 533 | Kansas City | MO |
|
?
|
Plumbers Local Union No 8 PAC | Kansas City | MO |
|
?
|
Separate Segregated Fund Carpenters Local Union No 61 | Kansas City | MO |
|
$3,500
|
Sheet Metal Workers’ Local #2 Political Action League | Kansas City | MO |
|
?
|
Teamsters Local Union 541 Political Action Fund | Kansas City | MO |
|
$1,000
|
Carpenter Local 1904 | Parkville | MO |
|
$1,500
|
Millwright PAC Fund | Pleasant Hill | MO |
|
$3,700
|
Roofers Local #20 PAC | Raytown | MO |
|
?
|
Carpenters Local 110 PAC Fund | St. Joseph | MO |
|
$2,510
|
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company Political Action Committee | St. Louis | MO |
|
?
|
EMBARQ Corporation Employees’ PAC | Raleigh | NC |
|
?
|
Wyeth Good Government Fund | Madison | NJ |
|
$500
|
New Jersey Right to Life Federal PAC | Piscataway | NJ |
|
$2,000
|
Pfizer Inc PAC | New York | NY |
|
$7,062
|
United Transportation Political Action Committee (UTU PAC) | Cleveland | OH |
|
$7,303
|
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen PAC Fund | Cleveland | OH |
|
?
|
ONEOK Inc. Employee Political Action Committee | Tulsa | OK |
|
$18,497
|
NRA Political Victory Fund | Fairfax | VA |
|
$459,438
|
TOTAL Out-of-State PACs Filing Verified Statements |
- The $ figures above were based on the figures only on the first page of a verified statement report.
- The $ figure was the greater of the amount reported on line 2A from the most recent reporting period, or line 7, the amount of all contributions to the fund to be used in Kansas during the last 12 months.
- Some figures are unknown above (represented by a “?”) since summary information was not provided on the cover page. In many cases, additional analysis will be needed to determine what the summary value is.
Preliminary Summary of Verified Statements Filed in 2008
Table 2. Kansas Groups Filing Verified Statements
|
$
|
PAC Not Registered in Kansas
|
City | State |
| $5,000 | International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Campaign Assistance Fund | Kansas City | KS |
| ? | YRC Worldwide Inc PAC | Overland Park | KS |
| $1,780 | Free Academic Inquiry and Research Committee: Federal PAC | Topeka | KS |
| $41,000 | Restore America PAC (A Federal PAC) | Topeka | KS |
| $12,000 | Heart PAC | Wichita | KS |
| $1,377 | Learjet Inc. Political Action Committee | Wichita | KS |
| $1,500 | Teamsters Union Local 795 DRIVE PAC | Wichita | KS |
| $62,657 | TOTAL Kansas Groups Filing Verified Statements |
Comments from Carol Williams, Executive Director of the Ethics Commission:
All of the PACs on [the] chart are Federal PACS except Learjet, Inc. which is a corporation, not a PAC, and Teamsters Union Local 795 DRIVE which is a Kansas registered PAC.
It’s not clear why some Federal PACs from Kansas file verified statements, while others do not.
Related:
- Late Money Reports in Kansas Elections, Kansas Meadowlark, Nov 1, 2008.
- Money in District Attorney races, Kansas Meadowlark, Oct 29, 2008.
- Out-of-State Money Floods Kansas, Kansas Meadowlark, Oct 28, 2008.
- Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund “Leadership” PAC attacks conservatives, Kansas Meadowlark, Oct 17, 2008.
- Gov. Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund PAC awash with cash for November elections, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 4, 2008.
- Ethics Commission’s “Top 20? PAC list missing 10 PACs?, Kansas Meadowlark, July 18, 2008.
- “Missing” PAC reports? Why are out-of-state PACs allowed to hide their reports?, Kansas Meadowlark, July 5, 2008.
- Weak Kansas Laws Allow “Heavy” Missouri Group to Hide Their Political Involvement in Kansas Politics, Kansas Meadowlark, March 21, 2007.
- Kansas Democrats Use Congressional District Party “Committees” as Political $uperfund, Kansas Meadowlark, Jan 23, 2007.
Tags: Campaign Finance, Ethics, LM-2 Report, PAC Reports, Political Action Committee (PAC), SEIU, Verified Statements
