Allen GOP: $99.05 left in account
Shine: ‘It's rough'; chair lists factors that skew picture
An effort to be more forthcoming by its chairman shows just how bad the local Republican Party's financial situation really is.
The Allen County Republican Party filed its preprimary campaign finance report Thursday, which shows the party raised nearly $20,000, but after expenses was left with only $99.05 in the bank. Coupled with $47,680 in debts, the party faces a troubling picture.
But Chairman Steve Shine said that picture is skewed by an effort to better disclose the party's true financial picture - and a later-than-normal Lincoln Day fundraiser. Shine said the party sought a legal opinion from the Indiana Election Commission about whether all outstanding bills need to be reported as debts - not just loans directly to the party.
Because of that, the party has begun reporting all of its outstanding bills, whether it is $180.20 to ACME Printing for printing work or $256.25 to Harold McComb & Sons Inc. for unpaid snow plowing.
“Our party finances are open for inspection,” Shine said. “It is better to err on the side of too much information instead of not enough.”
The full disclosure comes almost a year after GOP mayoral candidate Matt Kelty was indicted for campaign finance violations for not properly reporting the source of a loan. His case is still unresolved.
The Republicans' most recent report shows eight pages of debts the party owes, including older loans of $15,000 owed to Sen. Tom Wyss and $5,000 owed to Ronda Hanning.
It also shows a $600 loan from Shine. The report also tallies thousands of dollars in unpaid bills. One of the largest was $6,381 in unpaid wages to Abner Crosby, the party's former operations manager.
Shine said Crosby now works for the Indiana Republican Party in an effort to save money locally.
To compensate, he said he is relying on more volunteer work and is taking a more hands-on role with the party's day-to-day operations. Shine is unpaid for his position as chairman.
“It's just a matter of adapting to the circumstances,” he said. “It's rough.”
The report also shows the party has 4 1/2 months of rent outstanding, for a total of $10,000.
Shine, who is part owner of the party's headquarters building on Main and Harrison streets downtown, said the party plans to be out of the building and into a less expensive headquarters building by next month.
The party still owed almost $4,000 to Ceruti's for last fall's bean dinner fundraiser.
Shine said the party plans to pay that debt before May's Lincoln Day Dinner. He said the report is skewed because it doesn't show money for this year's Lincoln Day event, which is being held later than normal.
He said since the reporting period ended, the party has received about $7,000 for the dinner and $3,000 in general contributions.
Mike Bynum, local Democratic chairman, said the Republicans' finances show the party still has many problems it needs to correct.
“They have been going through some struggles,” he said.
The Democrats' report was filed Wednesday and shows the party with $690.36 on hand and no outstanding debts.
Bynum said the party didn't list every outstanding bill on its report, as he didn't believe it was necessary.
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Men followed him in little packs, looking for a chance to slip into his company and shake his hand or pat his back.