While I can appreciate a vendor wanting to protect it’s subcontractor sources and costs, there is no reason why they should not provide the certificate of mailing from the post office (form 3606, I think) which will show the quantity mailed. If the vendor invoiced the campaign committee for a mailing that was not performed, then they have committed fraud. If they mailed the invoice, I believe that would be mail fraud, which the USPS would have jurisdiction to investigate.
Of course, they could have provided the services for which they invoiced at a phenomenal markup and that would be perfectly legal. That is unless there is some sort of self-dealing (non-arms length transaction), then the question arises as to whether or not there laws against using funds from the Citizens Election Program for self-enrichment (hint, there are no restrictions – it’s a funnel to move money from taxpayers to a select group of individuals and TV stations).
You seem to be missing a couple of things, Farina:
1) Farina Consulting didn’t just vanish.
2) You make the point very well: Down East Strategies earned in one year what Farina did in 3 years.
So, what did the (taxpayer-funded) campaign get for all that money? Down East is folding up their tents. We should get some answers before they blow town
(and shred all the paper).
(And if Farina really IS scamming $, they should be investigated, too.)
Why isn’t anyone doing a story on Farina Consulting? You know, the big Democratic consultant that has made hundreds of thousands of dollars doing direct mail for Democratic candidates? If you add it up over the last three years, it’s a whole lot more than 500K.
While I can appreciate a vendor wanting to protect it’s subcontractor sources and costs, there is no reason why they should not provide the certificate of mailing from the post office (form 3606, I think) which will show the quantity mailed. If the vendor invoiced the campaign committee for a mailing that was not performed, then they have committed fraud. If they mailed the invoice, I believe that would be mail fraud, which the USPS would have jurisdiction to investigate.
Of course, they could have provided the services for which they invoiced at a phenomenal markup and that would be perfectly legal. That is unless there is some sort of self-dealing (non-arms length transaction), then the question arises as to whether or not there laws against using funds from the Citizens Election Program for self-enrichment (hint, there are no restrictions – it’s a funnel to move money from taxpayers to a select group of individuals and TV stations).
You seem to be missing a couple of things, Farina:
1) Farina Consulting didn’t just vanish.
2) You make the point very well: Down East Strategies earned in one year what Farina did in 3 years.
So, what did the (taxpayer-funded) campaign get for all that money? Down East is folding up their tents. We should get some answers before they blow town
(and shred all the paper).
(And if Farina really IS scamming $, they should be investigated, too.)
It’s kind of like a consultant’s rave– pop up for a bit, have a party, close up shop.
Why isn’t anyone doing a story on Farina Consulting? You know, the big Democratic consultant that has made hundreds of thousands of dollars doing direct mail for Democratic candidates? If you add it up over the last three years, it’s a whole lot more than 500K.