Reply #168: Take a chill pill and reread what I was responding to [View All]

[Ms. Toad]

and what I actually said. My point was that it was not just the $19,000 that were reported as expenses against the reported $300,000 in donations. That was only the amount reported as spent or committed for FOIA filings - not for all expenses. The post to which I was responding implied that $19,000 was the only expense, leaving $281,000 for buying dresses and socking away in offshore accounts.

I didn't inflate anything. I gave the numbers I recall being reported for salaries for herself ($60,000) and for Andy Stephenson ($48,000) and accurately stated that those are annual (/year) salaries. (If you reread my post you will not find any statement as to how long either or both of them had been on staff, or what portion of their annual salary should have been drawn against the donations.) I also pointed out that there are always salary related expenses in addition to the actual salary, which generally add 20-35% to whatever is reported as a salary.

I also pointed out other expenses that almost certainly took some portion of whatever money came in. Office expenses do not just include rent, although if the 501(c)(3) is using space in Bev's basement, depending on how it is segregated that could also be a legitimate expense in the eyes of the IRS. I have no idea whether she is actually charging rent or not - and made no suggestion in my post either way. Office expenses also include office supplies, equipment, postage, and even copying expenses at the local Kinko's.

I did not say that these amounts added up to $300,000, that she made wise choices with the money she was entrusted with, that all that she brought in was $300,000, or that she can or has done proper accounting for all that she has taken in.

What I did say was that $19,000 was not all that was spent - and pointed out where some of the rest of it went, for the sake of accuracy.

I am no fan of Bev Harris - but accusations based on completely ignoring reality (i.e. the fiction that there were no expenses beyond the amounts associated with the FOIA requests) drive me nuts - even when those accusations are against someone I am quite happy to see shoved off the radar.