Friday, March 15, 2013
Under Mississippi sunshine laws, all candidates for public office must file campaign finance reports periodically during the campaign cycle.
The first round of reports were due on Jan. 31, and were set to include all funds received and expenditures made in Mississippi during 2012, as well as a total for cash on-hand. They are also required to include itemized donations if the individual donation is over $200.
Of the 35 candidates for city council, just four filed reports on Jan. 31.
Here they are:
Comments
darryl 11 years, 1 month ago
Pretty intriguing information, on the whole, if it really is accurate. Elected officials with almost no money coming into the coffers? Or, does "N/A" stand for donations and expenditures of <$200. Hopefully Mr. Tillman and Mrs. Stokes will receive some contributions to stave off their challengers. Though with the trashing-in-public that Ms. Jackson received at the hand of the Stokes' in the last election, Mrs. Stokes will likely, sadly run unopposed. Have the other potential candidates disclosed why they failed to submit the proper paperwork?
mpriester 11 years, 1 month ago
Darryl, I don't believe a report was due from all candidates on Jan. 31. 2013.
Visit http://www.sos.ms.gov/elections_candi...">http://www.sos.ms.gov/elections_candi... From that page, download the Secretary of State's Campaign Finance Guide for 2013 http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections...">http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections...
Pg. 7 of the guide gives the Campaign Finance Reporting Schedule for 2013. For the Jan. 31, 2013 deadline discussed in the article, the guide states that this report is for "All candidates and all Political committees that received funds or made expenditures in Mississippi during the year 2012." As my Campaign did not receive or spend money in 2012, we contend that the Jan 31, 2013 report isn't required.
As to the Cash on Hand part, look at the 2012 Annual Report itself, http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections...">http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections... when it asks for "cash on hand," it's talking about the cash-on-hand on Dec. 31, 2012 not cash-on- hand on Jan. 31, 2013. That is so because the block to enter "cash on hand" is below a block that says "this period" & "this period" is defined on the document as "January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012."
Page 11 of the '13 Campaign Finance Guide further proves that a FY12 Annual Report was not due on Jan. 31, 2013 from campaigns that started after Jan. 1, 2013. On that page appear the following instructions: "WHAT TYPE OF REPORTS MUST I FILE?1. Primary Pre-Election report ... 2. Pre-Runoff Election report...3. General Pre-Election report...4. Annual report: Filed by all candidates until a Termination Report is filed.5. Termination report." Going back to the reporting schedule, you'll note that the Jan. 31, 2013 report discussed in the article is listed as an "Annual Report" and, as noted before, it has the qualifier about it being for candidates who received or spent funds in 2012. Compare and contrast that with the "Annual Report" that is listed as being due on Jan. 31, 2014 on Page 7 of the 2013 Campaign Finance Guide. The Jan. 31, 2014 Annual Report has no qualifier under it. The absence of the qualifier on the second appearance of "Annual Report" supports the conclusion that the Jan. 31, 2013 report was not required for candidates who raised/spent $0 in 2012.
Finally, download the 2013 Municipal Candidate Finance Form http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections...">http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections... There is a schedule on that form with no entry for Jan.31, 2013. On the 2013 Municipal Candidate Finance Form, the first deadline for reporting in this election cycle is "April 30, 2013 Primary Pre-Election Report (January 1, 2013, through April 27, 2013)"
My campaign did not file a report on January 31, 2013 because we read this guidance and concluded (we believe correctly) that no report was due from us on January 31, 2013.
mpriester 11 years, 1 month ago
Darryl,
One last point occurred to me this morning. Look at the relevant statute, Mississippi Code § 23-15-807. Entitled "Reporting requirements; contributions and disbursements of candidates and political committees," this section makes it pretty clear that, if your campaign started (like mine) in 2013, the candidate's first report due is the pre-primary election report due in April of this year and we didn't have an annual report obligation due January 31, 2013 . This section states [my thoughts in brackets]: "(b) Candidates who are seeking election, or nomination for election, and political committees that make expenditures for the purpose of influencing or attempting to influence the action of voters for or against the nomination for election, or election, of one or more candidates or balloted measures at such election, shall file the following reports: (i) In any calendar year during which there is a regularly scheduled election [like this one], a pre-election report, which shall be filed no later than the seventh day before any election in which such candidate or political committee has accepted contributions or made expenditures and which shall be complete as of the tenth day before such election [notice that THIS is the first report listed as being due and this is the first report listed as being due on the schedule on the 2013 Municipal Campaign Finance Form]; (ii) In 1987 and every fourth year thereafter, periodic reports, which shall be filed no later than the tenth day after April 30, May 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31, and which shall be complete as of the last day of each period; and (iii) In any calendar years except 1987 and except every fourth year thereafter, a report covering the calendar year which shall be filed no later than January 31 of the following calendar year [the key part of this is than the annual report should be"filed no later than January 31 OF THE FOLLOWING CALENDAR YEAR which means that I'll have a report due January 31 of NEXT YEAR and didn't have one due January 31, 2013 for 2012 activity because there was no activity by me in 2012]." Sorry for the longwinded response, the way the story was reported creates the perception that everyone who didn't file a report on January 31, 2013 was being lax [hence your statement "Have the other potential candidates disclosed why they failed to submit the proper paperwork."]. At least for me, we weren't being lax and were acting in our view according to the plain language of the law.
Sincerely, Melvin V. Priester, Jr. Candidate for Ward 2 City Council www.electmelpriester.com
darryl 11 years, 1 month ago
Holy smokes, Mr. Priester. I almost wish I lived in your district so I could vote for you.
donnaladd 11 years, 1 month ago
Thanks, Melvin. That's what we see, too. However, there are some candidates who spent money in 2012; that automatically means they need to file a report. We'll be reporting more on this, all.
And remember, please, that we want to post any and all campaign flyers and mailers y'all get. Please drop them at the JFP or scan and send them to: [email protected]
Thanks!
Donna
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID