The Matt Kelty campaign finance scandal is heating up! There have been numerous reports in the Newspapers, on TV, radio, and numerous blogs regarding this matter. It is getting to the point that you will need a scorecard to keep track of what is happening.
Here is a roundup of articles that started since the scandal broke- last Thursday, May 24, 2007. I have also included excerpts from each story.
Journal Gazette articles:
Vote Board to look at Kelty loans- May 25, 2007
In a letter to the election board, Kelty said he was identifying the sources of the loans even though attorneys told him he didn’t legally have to do so. He said other Republicans questioned the loans and prompted him to make their source public.
Curious Contributions- May 26, 2007 Editorial
Contributions reported as loans made to his own campaign demand a better explanation than GOP mayoral candidate Matt Kelty has offered so far. His evasive response to questions raised by Republican officials casts suspicion on the candidate’s integrity.
GOP Brass pushed for source of Kelty loans- May 26, 2007
Allen County Republican Chairman Steve Shine said Friday he personally asked Kelty to go public with the source of $158,000 in loans to his campaign that Kelty originally reported were from his own money.
Kelty loan disclosure imminent- May 30, 2007
Kelty’s campaign finance reports previously showed him lending his campaign $156,000 of his own money. Last week, Kelty revealed that those loans, plus a previously undisclosed $2,000 loan, originally came from members of his campaign staff.
News-Sentinel articles:
Kelty's campaign loan is disputed- May 24, 2007
Although initial campaign finance reports listed the $148,000 as a loan from Kelty’s personal account, the candidate said today he does not believe the filing was misleading or illegal.
Kelty provides details of disputed funding- May 25, 2007
“This was a loan, not a gift, and was thoroughly documented. Although the loan was not earmarked for any particular purpose, I understood that Matt might use all or a portion of the loan proceeds to help with his mayoral campaign,” said Rost in an e-mail.
Editor's note- Fred Rost is the source of nearly $150,000 in questionable loans to the Kelty campaign.
Matt Kelty's problem- May 25, 2007 Editorial
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time in this race Kelty and his campaign have blundered over hidden information, shifting stories or campaign laws.
The ballots: He sent out absentee ballots that don't follow the law governing such ballots. The Allen County Election Board spotted the problems, called him out, and the campaign redid the ballots.
The poll: He either didn't understand or oversold a poll provided to his campaign and presented it as a survey of 9,000 residents. Then a reporter checked on the poll, found out that it actually surveyed 401 people. Called out, Kelty backpedaled and equivocated. He refused to say who paid for the poll, describing his benefactors as local businesspeople interested in downtown. Facing more criticism over the secret poll funding, he argued that it's not actually a campaign contribution. Finally, one businessman, Kelty supporter Fred Rost - the same financial backer who loaned Kelty $150,000, which Kelty loaned to his campaign - came forward and admitted he paid $4,450 for the poll.
The football legend: His official biography on the Allen County GOP Web site still says he was a walk-on football player for Notre Dame. But he was never listed on the roster. And Kelty later admitted that he was one of the last ones cut among those trying out for the team.
How many more bungled details and distorted tales should one campaign produce? None, if Kelty wants to be a plausible candidate. He needs to straighten out the $158,000 question and move on in exemplary fashion.
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