Talk about soft money that’s hard to trace!
Republican bad boy, Tom Del Becarro, longstanding chairman and now behind the curtain finance director of the erstwhile county Republican Central Committee, has done it again. Like squashing bugs, Del Beccaro taught both the California Secretary of State and the Fair Political Practices Committee (FPPC) a thing or two by committing the #1 campaign fundraising no-no two-years running by: accepting, nay practically requesting (wink-wink-nudge-nudge) cash campaign contributions above the $99 legal limit.
At least that’s what’s implied in the recent flyer for the upcoming Chairman’s Golf Tournament to be held April 28th. The flyer states that although checks are preferred for Single Golfers ($185) and Foursomes ($740), cash and credit cards can be accepted! Nor does the form request the usual FPPC requirements for employer info, etc., etc., etc.
Maybe this is the spunk and streetwise can-do savvy that the California Republican Party saw in Del Beccaro to make it snap up Il Duce as a frontline fundraiser who laughs at rules whether or not he produces results. Cause when you can’t win elections it’s all about style points, right?
Full Disclosure: Bill Gram-Reefer, publisher of this blog, is a candidate for the Contra Costa County Republican Party Central Committee, District-4.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
MY MEASURE OF TOMMY DEL BACCARO IS THE FACT THAT CONTRA COSTA REPUBLICAN REGISTRATION IS ONLY 28%. THE PARTY IS NOWHERE LAND.
~ editor says–let’s please lose the ALL CAPS, Renegade. Thanks! xoxo der fuhrer.
bt: How many excuses are you going to make for Tom Del Beccaro? The guy is supposed be the number 2 Republican in the state Republican party and claims to be a fundraising champion. Why aren’t you asking why he is not complying with campaign laws? He should be lecturing on them, not ignoring them. If you insist on giving the dude a pass on the $50 dinner only, explain the rest of the reporting that is missing.
You don’t check reports afterward as you suggest – you are supposed to do the right thing when you do campaign reporting. Everyone else manages to comply so why can’t Tom Del Beccaro? If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that Bill and others have already written about the wacky reporting by the CCRP so this is nothing new.
bt…as a disinterested observer, it seems to me that your trying to talk about this without looking at “management” is ignoring the elephant in the room. Besides, political types, even central committees should know by now that anything that even appears inappropriate or as a conflict is fair game for closer inspection, despite the tortuous example you give above. Sadly, the ring of truth is there when seen as yet another episode of incompetence in financial matters let alone electoral.
Old School,
I’m not commenting on the management, simply the biased nature of this post. Bill clearly left out a piece of evidence ($50 Reception) which would undermine the argument that cash cannot be accepted at all for an event like this. What if an individual payed equally with cash and check, with the cash amount being under $99….this would violate no law. The implication that something improper is being done, simply because a golf invite mentions that cash can be accepted, is false. If the ccrp did collect more cash than allowable, and we had some proof, then go write this story. I see someone trying to create a fire where they want to see smoke. Let them have their tourney and then check their reports.
bt… the behavior described in the post sounds typical for the current central committee. It fits the pattern of poor management discussed locally and around the county and the party in California.
when i hear alarms like this going off from more than one source, it’s time to check where the exits are cause where there’s smoke, there’s usually a fire.
Why didn’t you mention the “reception only” option on the flyer which only costs $50 (Well within allowable FEC limits). I imagine that the CCRP will be collecting FPPC required information on the day of the tournament, as they did last year.
Isn’t there anything more interesting to blog about than a golf flyer? and only part of the flyer at that.