Super. candidate has 4x as much on hand as opponent; Clarkson’s report lands online late
Bethlehem supervisor candidate Kyle Kotary has four times the money on hand as his opponent John Clarkson, who is challenging him in the upcoming Democratic primary.
Candidates are required to file financial disclosures with the state Board of Elections 32 and 11 days prior to Election Day, and reports made before the upcoming Sept. 13 primary show Kotary’s campaign with a war chest of $8,581.
Clarkson’s disclosure report showed his campaign with $2,075 on hand. That information was filed on the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 15, several days after the deadline set by the Board of Elections. Clarkson provided The Spotlight with copies before they were posted.
Clarkson said there were some difficulties in publishing the report through the Board of Election’s filing system. A form was not filled out correctly, he said, and had to be resubmitted. That delay as mail was sent back and forth meant the campaign did not receive the PIN number needed to file the report electronically by the deadline.
There was a delay in getting the PIN, that’s all, he said. `We’re providing all the information. … We’re filing in accordance with the law.`
Kotary said there’s been plenty of time for his opponent to get his ducks in a row and called the delay inexcusable.
`I have properly and punctually filed my campaign’s public financial statements, I have signed the fair campaign pledge, and I’ve focused my campaign on my time on the board. … Unfortunately, my opponent has not done any of that. I can only hope he’ll start complying with state election law,` said Kotary, adding, `You can’t have, ‘The dog ate my homework.’`
Due to the sheer number of people running for office every year the Board of Elections leaves reporting in the hands of candidates. Most complaints of impropriety aren’t followed up on until after the elections, in part because so many meritless claims are made in the heat of election season.
`We have more than 11,000 filers at the state board, the majority of which are local filers,` said state Board of Elections representative John Conklin on the challenge the office faces.
The information provided by Clarkson showed his campaign carrying about $1,900 in liabilities as money the candidate has spent out of his own pocket prior to an Aug. 2 fundraiser. Clarkson said he’s received more donations after the cutoff for the report and will be holding additional events in the coming weeks.
`I think we’re doing pretty well,` he said. `I think it’s a question of how much we need for a campaign. We’re not using robo calls or anything like that. … We’re using a relatively efficient approach.`
Kotary’s reports reveal he’s spent nearly $4,400 in the past month. He gave $2,000 to his own campaign earlier in the summer.
`I’m very pleased by the support that my campaign and my message has received. The positive reception is reflected in both the dozens of volunteers and the financial support that we’ve received from people in the community from all parts of town and across all spectrums,` Kotary said.
Altogether, the information shows expected costs for candidates in any race. There’s postage, lawn signs and fundraiser expenses. Kotary has also made it a point to campaign in the digital world, with money spent on Constant Contact email marketing and on Facebook ads. Digital buys amounted to less than $100, compared to $2,000 his campaign spent on law signs.
The candidates are required to file another financial report 11 days before the primary and 10 days after it. Reports will also have to be filed before and after the general election in November.“
