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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee County clerk alleging campaign finance law violations
by Joel Feick Wednesday, April 24th 2019
(FLINT, Mich. )The Genesee County Clerk says he's sending letters to two candidates for Flint mayor, that they may be violating campaign finance laws.
Letters were sent about the violations today to current Mayor Karen Weaver and candidate Don Pfeiffer.
According to County Clerk John Gleason, one of the complaints was resolved on Wednesday, ...but there is still an issue with the campaign finances of Mayor Weaver.
Gleason wouldn't go on camera until each of the candidates gets the letter.
According to documents on the county website provided by the group "Friends of Karen Weaver", 4 Flint churches donated money to her re-election campaign.
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Metropolitan Baptist Church , Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and and New Jerusalem Full Gospel Baptist Church.
According to campaign finance laws, non profit organizations aren't allowed to contribute to political campaigns.
3 of the churches now show the word "refunded" near their name.
But Gleason says he isn't sure how much was refunded or when it occurred.
For Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, no refund has been recorded.
View the list below.
Mayor Weaver's campaign responded through its spokesman Charles Winfrey who says he has no knowledge of this situation, he has no comment on it, he hasn't seen the letter from Gleason but would respond once they've seen it.
Gleason was also sending a letter to candidate Don Pfeiffer.
He hadn't paid a fine from the last time he ran for mayor.
This morning he went to the county clerk's office to pay the 500 dollar fine.
Pfeiffer says "The county has a debt to pay....however they can muscle the money they're gonna do it".
The elections division of the Secretary of State's office and the State Attorney General's office didn't respond to our request in time for this story. |
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Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:43 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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On April 23, 2019 Gleason wrote a letter to Mayor Karen Weaver,
In this communication Gleason stated that his office was in receipt of a copy of Weaver's Re-Affidavit of Identity that had been filed with City of Flint's Clerk's Office on April 16, 2019.
Gleason pointed out that the notarized statement in Section IV, Campaign Finance Compliance Statement and Attestation read "by signing this affidavit, I swear (or affirm)that the facts contained in the statement set forth below are true. At this date, all statements, reports, late filing fees, and fines are due from me or any other committee organized to support my election to office under the Michigan Campaign Finance Act P.A. 388 Act of 1976 have been filed or paid.
I acknowledge that making a false statement in this affidavit is perjury-a felony punishable by a fine up to $1,00, or imprisonment of up to 5 years or both. )MCL. 168,558,933 & 936" |
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Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:21 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Gleason informed Weaver that the records in his office indicated the Weaver campaign had 2 reports that her campaign had failed to respond to. Both were issued on 2/5/ 2019.
!) An amendment of the October 2018 quarterly report (numerous of failure to respond were sent to the Michigan Attorney General)
2) Failure to complete the Annual Statement 2018.
"Therefore, you are not in compliance with the Campaign Finance Act and further the affidavit you sore to in section IV is not true."
Gleason sent to the Genesee County Prosecutors office a copy of the letter and the documentation for notification of the false statement.
"My office will enforce the Campaign Finance Act to the fullest extent possible" wrote Gleason. |
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Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:50 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The campaign finance reports of Mayor Karen Weaver show numerous letters for errors and omissions and the required notification to the AG when requests for corrections were not responded to. It is easy to see why the County Clerk's office can't tell if the money from the churches were repaid. The word refunded was used but the page totals were never changed, even in the most recent amendment of 4'24/2019.
The reports were to included the copies of the refunded donation checks.
On 9//20/2018 a group called Rosenwald Harlanites-Mid Michigan Chapter at 10169 Golfside, Grand Blanc, donated $250 to the Weaver campaign with a ttal donation of $500. The Campaign statement alleged this was a High School Club. In reality it is a 501(C)3 and therefore a corporation unable to donate without a PAC |
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Thu Apr 25, 2019 3:21 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
The campaign finance reports of Mayor Karen Weaver show numerous letters for errors and omissions and the required notification to the AG when requests for corrections were not responded to. It is easy to see why the County Clerk's office can't tell if the money from the churches were repaid. The word refunded was used but the page totals were never changed, even in the most recent amendment of 4'24/2019.
The reports were to included the copies of the refunded donation checks.
On 9//20/2018 a group called Rosenwald Harlanites-Mid Michigan Chapter at 10169 Golfside, Grand Blanc, donated $250 to the Weaver campaign with a total donation of $500. The Campaign statement alleged this was a High School Club. In reality it is a 501(C)3 and therefore a corporation unable to donate without a PAC
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Thu Apr 25, 2019 3:23 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thu Apr 25, 2019 3:27 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Genesee County Clerk Election Division questioned a $500 donation from a Genesee Total Healthcare located at 5054 W. Bristol and was it a corporation.
Buzzfile shows Genesis Total Healthcare LLC located at that site,with Judith Eong as the managing member.
Manta shows Universal EMS at the same site. Benson Ekong is shown as President and CEO. Universal EMS is an assumed name for Universal Ambulance Response Services Inc. Michigan corporation ID # 800677607. Additionally Manta shows Universal Kiidney Foundation,
Universal EMS was the failed ambulance company operated by Benson Ekong. This is the company that leased 3 flint fire station to shae space for their ambulances. |
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Fri Apr 26, 2019 1:53 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee County Clerk / Register of Deeds John Gleason was fuming during a Friday morning radio show appearance, saying local politicians are ignoring campaign finance laws and getting away with it.
BY MIKE KILLBREATH
Posted on April 26, 2019
Genesee County Clerk Gleason goes after Prosecutor Leyton, two Flint mayoral candidates during radio show appearance
FLINT (CCN) — John Gleason wants two Flint mayoral candidates locked up for perjury and he accused Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton of ignoring campaign finance laws in a county riddled with what he calls habitual law-breaking politicians who ignore state laws. The comments aired during a radio show interview with the former county commissioner who served 10 years in the state legislature before becoming the Genesee County Clerk / Register of Deeds in 2012.
"David Leyton doesn't enforce campaign finance laws because he's the biggest offender in the county," the former State Senator fumed during an appearance Friday on The Morning Gazette Radio Show that airs on CCN Radio. "We have a chronic problem in Genesee County. We just don't get the enforcement of campaign finance laws that should just be routine," Gleason added.
Gleason says incumbent Flint Mayor Dr. Karen Weaver owes fines for problems with her campaign finance filings and also accused her of accepting donations from churches and other 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that are prohibited from making political contributions. The Morning Gazette Radio Show aired a Wednesday morning story that Gleason had sent a letter to Mayor Weaver and to one of four candidates who filed before Tuesday's deadline to challenge Mayor Weaver in the August 2019 primary. The letter revealed that the perjury accusation against each of them had been referred to Prosecutor Leyton for action. The penalty for the perjury charge, if convicted, is up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Taking an illegal donation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 for each offense.
Gleason said businessman Don Pfeiffer owes $500 for fines because of late campaign finance filings after his run for mayor in 2017 during the recall attempt against Mayor Weaver. He denied knowing about the fines. A close aide to Mayor Weaver, Aoine Gilbreast, told The Morning Gazette Radio Show that the mayor didn't know anything about what Gleason was talking about. Pfeiffer said he paid $500 to cover fines Gleason's letter accused his campaign of owing within an hour after the program aired on Wednesday about Gleason's letter. "If he says it's owed, I will pay it," Pfeiffer said. "I will investigate why it's owed because this is the first I've heard of it. I didn't get any letters about fines and I thought everything was closed out properly on my previous campaign."
Gilcreast said, "If you can show us where something is owed, the mayor will go over to Gleason's office and pay it. But we knew absolutely nothing about owing anything. It's the first we've heard about it."
Gleason called Mayor Weaver and Pfeiffer "liars" for "trying to pretend they know nothing about the fines." He said they've received numerous letters from his office and added that the fines had been reported on by The Flint Journal, local TV stations and The Morning Gazette Radio Show.
"We must have used a ream of paper in my 6 1/2 years down there and nothing happens," Gleason said about numerous complaints forward to Prosecutor Leyton since he became county clerk to oversee county elections. "We have never seen an individual be reprimanded. (There has been) no fines, no consequences for not following the law. My office, and me specifically, we're frustrated. We don't have any investigative powers. We have no police powers. It's our obligation to pass on these scofflaws to law enforcement officials like David Leyton, our prosecutor. My office wishes Mr. Leyton would do his job." |
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Sat Apr 27, 2019 8:57 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Don Pfeiffer
County Clerk John “Goofy” Gleason is using his staff and office to play politics and try to control the outcome of elections. Over the next 30 days I will be demanding his resignation. He forgets he was elected by the people for the work of the people not his whining brand of politics. |
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Wed May 01, 2019 7:03 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Sally Haywood Pfeiffer did not close his campaign committee. All open committees received a memorandum of a chang in the campaign finance act (PA 119 0f2017. That is shown under miscellaneous communications.and required an annual campaign statement be filed by any committee that does not file a reporting waiver.
Don Pfeiffer Sally Haywood Tried to close but they didn’t send the notice that it wasn’t dissolved. They will not dissolve when you owe yourself money. |
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Wed May 01, 2019 7:07 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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378 - COMMITTEE TO ELECT DON PFEIFFER
Document Received Due Pages
Miscellaneous
ELECTION FINE RECEIPT 04/24/19 - 1 View
Miscellaneous
CORRESPONDENCE RE:AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY 04/23/19 - 2 View
Quarterly Stmt (Jul) - 2018 11/01/18 07/25/18 3 View
LFF Notice 08/22/18 - 1 View
AG Letter 08/07/18 - 1 View
Failure to File 07/26/18 - 1 View
Miscellaneous
ELECTION FINE RECEIPT 01/26/18 - 1 View
AG Letter 01/01/18 - 1 View
Error and Omission 12/14/17 - 2 View
LFF Notice 12/13/17 - 1 View
Post-Election Stmt - 11/07/2017 General Election 12/13/17 12/07/17 8 View
Failure to File 12/08/17 - 1 View
Miscellaneous
CORRESPONDENCE 11/17/17 - 2 View
AG Letter 11/15/17 - 1 View
Error and Omission 10/31/17 - 2 View
Miscellaneous
ELECTION FINE RECEIPT 10/30/17 - 1 View
LFF Notice 10/30/17 - 1 View
Pre-Election Stmt - 11/07/2017 General Election 10/30/17 10/27/17 8 View
Receipt 08/11/17 - 1 View
Intro Letter 08/11/17 - 1 View
Stmt of Organization 08/11/17 08/21/17 1 View |
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Wed May 01, 2019 7:12 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Previous election
Committee Details
Committee ID: 32097
Committee Name: COMMITTEE TO ELECT DON PFEIFFER
Committee Type: CANDIDATE
Formation Date: 05/20/2011
Status: Dissolved
Dissolution Date: 10/16/2013
Has Waiver: Yes
Candidate: PFEIFFER, DON A.
Jurisdiction: FLINT
Office: CITY MAYOR
Political Party: NON PARTISAN
Committee Address: 2214 RADCLIFFE AVE
FLINT, MI 48503
Telephone: (225) 252-7322
Mailing Address: 2214 RADCLIFFE AVE
FLINT, MI 48503
Treasurer: PFEIFFER, DON
2214 RADCLIFFE AVE.
FLINT, MI 48503 |
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Wed May 01, 2019 7:17 am |
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