Developers Skirting Campaign Finance Rules

Because buying candidates for $4,000 apiece isn't enough, local developers have found ways to give more, virtually anonymously through various Limited Liability Corporations that they've set up. Some good investigative reporting by the Capital reveals that, at least, Phil Bissett (R), John Leopold (R), George Johnson (D), and Dennis Callahan (D) have been on the receiving end of this graft. Bissett, in particular, seems to have his hand in the kitty of those who gave so generously to sitting executive and willing pawn of the development community, Janet Owens.

Top among those are Ed St. John, purveyor of nearly all the squat, ugly commercial/industrial complexes you see popping up around the County (over 2 million square feet!) and assorted Sturbridge LLCs, run by the DeStefano family. I'll leave you with this ominous line from Mike DeStefano, president of Sturbridge Homes. :

"In our business, it's particularly important to make sure candidates understand the importance of homebuilding in this county."

Right, its importance to degrading existing residents' quality of life and draining the tax base, because people like you, Mr. DeStefano, have fought so hard against letting impact fees accurately reflect the cost of building new infrastructure to accommodate it.

And So It Begins

According to today's Sun, an Annapolis developer is planning 1,600 homes for an undeveloped 300-acre tract that abuts the Patuxent Research Refuge. John Stamato, owner of Ribera Development, wants to put a mixed use, commercial and residential project, on the land, which is currently zoned industrial. Stamato offered, "What we are anxious to do is sit down with residents and do a good project that meets the needs [of] BRAC and provide a town center."

Isn't the ill-conceived "Odenton Town Center" supposed to be the regional town center in the area? Is this the new meme that we can expect developers to trot out, that every new development with housing, a Jiffy Lube, and Wendy's is a "Town Center?"

Good aspects of the proposed plan? Apparently 10 percent of the homes would be set aside as affordable, "workforce housing." Of course, if our County Council and Executive had any will to face up to their development puppetmasters, such requirements would have been the law of the land years ago.

Interestingly, it looks like the Executive has decided to put this one on the plate of the next in line. "I would recommend not introducing any project or any massive change in zoning at this time," said Owens. Of course not. It would indeed be hard to fend off the "Queen of Sprawl" accusations from opponents for the Comptroller seat with 1,600 additional homes under one's belt.

Gem of the day: "Stamato is being assisted by Bob DiPietro, Owens' former chief of staff who is serving as the spokesman for her state comptroller campaign."

Where is Ribera/Stamato spreading money around?

George Johnson (Candidate - County Exec) $500
David Boschert (Candidate - County Exec) $1000
Pam Beidle (District 1) $500
Ed Middlebrooks (District 2) $400
Ron Dillon (District 3) $1500
James Benoit (Candidate - District 4) $500
Cathy Vitale (District 5) $500

Show Me the Money

The Capital and Sun both have articles on the latest fundraising reports filed by the County Executive candidates, but if you want to have some real fun, take a look for yourself at the Maryland Voter Information Clearinghouse, run by UMBC (with data filed from the State Board of Elections). See who has got his or her hooks into your favorite candidate for County Council, or which Senate candidate has the broadest base of support. I think you'll be surprised at how the same names come up over and over again.

The money on hand for each of the Exec. candidates is below:

George Johnson - $514,300
John Leopold - $412,000 (he has lent himself $200,000)
David Boschert - $302,000 (he has lent himself $240,000)
Dennis Callahan - $25,474
Tom Angelis - $15,977
Greg Nourse - $8,000
Phil Bissett - $15,951

Abramoff's Oily Trail

This blog focuses almost exclusively on local issues, so I've kept my distance from many of the scandals going on at the federal level of late. However, there have been several recent pieces in the Post detailing an uncomfortable closeness between Jack Abramoff and Governor Bobby.

Long story short: Abramoff was a lobbyist and influence peddler, good friend of Tom DeLay, and swindler of Native American gaming interests. He's now under arrest for fraud.

Curious to see just how deeply Abramoff's tendrils plunged into Maryland politics, I turned to the trusty Maryland Board of Elections campaign finance database. I was not let down. A summary of my findings is below:

1) Bob Ehrlich - Jack Abramoff, Pam Abramoff (his wife?), Franklin Abramoff, Jane Abramoff (his parents?) of Rancho Mirage, CA all gave the future Guv the maximum $4k during the 2001/2002 cycle. In 2003, Jack and Pam again gave $4k each. For being DC and CA residents, respectively, they sure love our Guv, to the tune of $24k.

2) Montgomery County Republicans - Jack - $2,500 in 2004.

3) Alex Mooney (R) - One of the most regressive members of the Maryland Senate received $1k from Jack in 2002.

4) Republican Legislators Committee PAC, Maryland - $1,250 from Jack in 1999/2000.

5) Republican State Central Committee Of Maryland - $4k from Jack in 2001.

6) The Victory Team Slate - Received $2k from both Jack and Pamela in 2002.

Jack's contributions during the 2002 Cycle (1/1/1999-12/31/2002):

1) $4k, Bob Ehrlich (10/29/2001)
2) $1k, Alex Mooney (05/20/2002)
3) $250, Republican Legislators Committee PAC, Maryland (11/12/1999)
4) $1k, Republican Legislators Committee PAC, Maryland (12/15/2000)
5) $4k, Republican State Central Committee Of Maryland (10/09/2001)
6) $2k, The Victory Team Slate (04/12/2002)

According to Election Law § 13-226: A person can contribute no more than $4,000 to one campaign finance entity, and a total of $10,000 to all campaign finance entities, during the four-year cycle.

Looks to me like Jack contributed over $12,000 during that period. Has anyone notified the proper authorities?

Faustian Bargains

So let's say, for a moment, that you've been elected County Executive of Anne Arundel County. The monies for school construction and repair have run short, and you desperately need to find some place from which to procure the funds. Do you go to the State with your hat in your hand and beg for a multi-million dollar loan from the state? Or, do you work to close a tax loophole for commercial property owners that costs the County millions of dollars a year?

Problem is, several of the most prolific commercial developers and business bigwigs in the County represent the base of your campaign contribution gravy-train. Better to put the County on the hook to the State for years to come (you're gone in less than 2 years anyway) than bite the hand that feeds you, right?

The Sunday Capital revealed to us Janet Owen's answer. Ms. Owens has decided that, rather than upset her base and require businesses to pay transfer taxes when property changes hands (like residents do), she wants to ask the State for the money to fund school construction. Thankfully, Mike Busch (D-Annapolis), and several others in the State House have introduced a bill to shut the loopholes themselves, a move that, it is estimated, will generate $13 million/year for the State, and $45 million/year for the counties. Several other states, including the notoriously business friendly, Delaware have already passed laws to close similar loopholes.