JACK GOULD | Posted: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 6:00 pm
When Nebraskans donate campaign funds to an elected official, they envision yard signs and maybe a radio or television ad. These expenses are certainly part of where the money goes, but what else should we expect?
Campaign expenditures that are not clearly identified with a disclaimer can be confused with private acts of charity. Sen. Don Pederson donated $5,000 from his campaign funds to the Presbyterian Church. Senator Patrick Bourne spent $840 on “Holy Name Harvest Tickets.” Would campaign donors of different religious persuasions object? Do the churches acknowledge the gift as a personal gift?
Many elected officials are sports enthusiasts. Some support NU football by purchasing tickets with campaign funds and then report to the public, “I paid for my tickets and donated them to charity.” If it is your donation originally, shouldn’t you be recognized as a partial donor? Sen. Philip Erdman spent $500 on the “Paxton/Banner County Girls BB Dinner” in 2002, $642 on the “State Qualifying Girls Volleyball Team Dinner” in 2003, and $782 on the “Girls State BB Dinner” in 2004.
I hope the senator stood up during the dinners and thanked his donors for making it all possible. When an elected official’s name appears as a generous patron in the Friday night high school football program, is it his charity or yours?
Sen. Erdman added a new wrinkle to campaign spending in 2002 by spending $1,185 on “4-H Livestock Beef Cheyenne Co. Fair” and followed in 2004 by spending $635 on “4-H Lambs Cheyenne Co. Fair. Was everyone aware that campaign funds were being used?
A number of elected officials donate your campaign contributions to other campaigns. Recently Attorney General Jon Bruning contributed $1,000 to Public Service Commissioner Landis. Bruning’s wife is a lobbyist for several utilities regulated by the PSC. Is this what you expect? Commissioners Frank Landis and Gerald Vap ended their campaigns with so much surplus in campaign funds that they both purchased $10,000 CDs. The CDs can only be redeemed for campaign purposes, but as you can see, that leaves considerable leeway for spending it.
If campaign funds are to be used for purposes other than direct campaigning, it is important that the public is aware of the source. Both the donor and the recipient should make it clear that the donation comes from many individuals and should not be confused with an official’s personal act of charity.