Ehrlich returns campaign money:Half-million funneled through federal account in violation of state l

[FreeStateDemocrat]

By John Fritze
Sun Reporter
Originally published November 3, 2006
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has returned a half-million dollars in political contributions that were funneled through a federal account after the Maryland State Board of Elections said the money shifting violated state law, according to campaign officials and documents released yesterday.

Use of the federal account to pay for the governor's re-election effort, which was first revealed in The Sun in August, allowed Ehrlich to receive large sums of in-kind contributions from the Maryland Republican Party and increase the campaign's resources by bypassing a $4,000 donation cap set by state law.

Details of last-minute fundraising and spending by Ehrlich and his Democratic opponent, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, began to emerge this week after both filed the final campaign finance statement they will submit before Tuesday's election. Those reports show that Ehrlich has a significant financial advantage.

Even when the money returned to the party is considered, the Ehrlich campaign reported having more than $2 million in the bank as of Oct. 22, compared with the O'Malley campaign, which had just shy of $600,000. Having money to buy costly television advertisements in the final days of the election could become a critical factor in the race (cont'd)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/elections/bal-md.federal03nov03,0,670519.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

[Witchy_Dem]

1. Man I hope this weakens him some

...The federal account the Ehrlich campaign tapped into is allowed to accept $10,000 contributions, compared to the $4,000 limit that applies to state accounts.

The federal account, controlled by the state Republican Party, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions in the days leading up to a $1 million fundraising event in May featuring
President Bush.

The state party spent money from the account on behalf of its candidates, Ehrlich and U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, for salaries, cell phones, mailings, postage and other services, state election records show. The in-kind contributions allowed the Ehrlich campaign to direct its own vast resources elsewhere, such as toward television advertising.

Ehrlich spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver said the campaign returned the money in response to the letter. State campaign finance records released Monday indicate the campaign transferred more than $540,000 to the party over several weeks from the end of September through mid-October.

"Upon receipt of the letter, we immediately began to address the concerns of the state Board of Elections as reflected in our most recent campaign finance report to the satisfaction of the state board," DeLeaver said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061103/ap_on_el_gu/maryland_governor_funds

[KamaAina]

3. So is Steele returning any money?

The state party spent money from the account on behalf of its candidates, Ehrlich and U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, for salaries, cell phones, mailings, postage and other services, state election records show.

Well? Is he?

(crickets chirp) (siren wails in distance)...

[yellowcanine]

4. Cat got your tongue, Michael? Steele is also quiet about the voting

challenges I have noticed. Maybe he doesn't mind if people are disenfranchised by the Republicans?

[TexasLawyer]

2. How can he enforce the laws of Maryland--

when he's knowingly and flagrantly breaking them big-time himself?