All but two Jackson mayoral candidates ignored the campaign finance laws. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba did not file one until June 1, the day of the general election. The incumbent Mayor reported $302,337 in contributions and disbursements of $293,930. JJ submitted a public records request for all campaign finance reports.
State law requires 2021 municipal candidates to file reports for each of the deadlines listed below:
January 29, 2021: Annual Report
March 30, 2021: Primary Pre-election report (opposed candidates)
April 20, 2021: Primary Runoff Election Report
June 1, 2021: Pre-election report (opposed candidates)
Patty Patterson and Ken Wilson filed campaign finance reports for the Mayoral Democratic Primary in Jackson. Mayor Lumumba did not submit a report on or before the primary.
Independent candidates Jason Wells, Charlotte Reeves, and Les Tannehill did not submit any campaign finance reports. The Mayor conveniently did not file a report until election day on June 1.
Section 23-15-813 of the Mississippi Code spells out the penalties for failure to file campaign finance reports. A candidate has ten days to file the report after it is due. The Mississippi Ethics Commission will (notice that is not a "may") fine the "delinquent candidate" to to $50 per day the report is delinquent. The maximum fine is $500.
Although the Ethics Commission may fine wayward candidates, it is the Attorney General who must actually take the necessary legal actions to enforce the law.
Section 23-15-811 of the Mississippi Code states an intentional violation is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $3,000 and six months in the county jail.
Kingfish note: Submit report to Secretary of State, the Ethics Commission penalizes the candidate, and the Attorney General enforces the law. Hmmm.... three separate agencies. Is it any wonder the law is never enforced.
The problem is the candidates now realize the law won't be enforced and don't even bother to try to follow it. Check out municipal and county campaign finance reports - when they actually exist.
Mississippi should either enforce or abolish the campaign finance report laws and that my friends, is the bottom line.
12 comments:
Clown show including the toothless 'progressive' media.
You had me until “ it is the Attorney General who must actually take the necessary legal actions to enforce the law.” Might as well stop the there. Unless of course there is money in it for Liston & Deas or some other campaign donor.
Mayor Lumumba may have submitted one campaign report - but it is as bogus as he is.
The law requires the submission of ACTUAL expenditures and receipts; Lumumba, through his treasurer, filed a report that has listed expenditures that can not in any possible manner be actual expenses.
And, he has claimed many expenditures to consultants and labeled them as GOTV (get out the vote) efforts - but the expenditures were months and months prior to the election date.
I call bullshit. But hey, that's equivalent to his entire administration - pure bullshit. Why should we be surprised.
Are the reports for county officials (Chancery Clerk, Supervisor etc) online for all of the 82 counties? I cannot find the right link.
None of the Hinds Supervisor candidates bothered to file a report. And only 2 in Madison did.
Do city alderman have to file this same paperwork? Interesting if the new board in Madison had anyone file. The new members all bought their way in.
I hope it comes a day when all politicians gets a chance to see how it feels to be normal again! A day when they don’t have a drivers and someone who don’t open the door for them!
Andy Taggart would have taken action.
The legislature is the culprit in this situation, yet mindless followers of various candidates and political parties want to bitch about the candidates (from the other party whichever that might be for you). The fact is that our corrupt legislature doesn't want to strengthen a law that applies to each and every on of themselves. Sounds like a conflict of interest situation (just like their refusal to strengthen other campaign finance laws). Look at the bright side, Republicans and Democrats, Blacks and Whites, Rural and Urban politicians have found something that they can all agree on - let's keep the laws loose so we incumbents can maintain an advantage in keeping our positions.
Soros money doing Soros things. No one to blame here but yourselves. YOU GET what you VOTE for . Now grab a cold beer and watch it burn.
7:43: You are correct. They don't want campaign finance laws and dividing enforcement among three agencies is all the proof needed of their intent.
No way in hell Lumumba ran a 300k race. He may have raised that, but. No way he spent that. Not even on tv.
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