ENTENZA BOMBSHELL: ADMITS HE NOW GAVE $600,000
Entenza, wife gave $600,000 to DFL groups
House Minority Leader Matt Entenza disclosed Friday that he and his wife gave a combined grand total of about $600,000 in political contributions to DFL Party groups, to a national "527" organization and to various Democratic candidates in the 2004 election cycle, an amount that could make the Entenza household one of the larger overall contributors in Minnesota.
The revelation added fuel to a controversy over the postelection discovery that Entenza gave $300,000 to 21st Century Democrats, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., that spent more than $200,000 in Minnesota turning out young voters and helping DFL House candidates, who almost regained the majority.
Republicans contend that the arrangement was illegal or improper and that the latest disclosure fits a pattern of Entenza trying to conceal the full extent of his personal giving and influence, at least until after the Nov. 2 election. On Election Day, DFLers made a net gain of 13 seats in the Minnesota House, one of the best showings by legislative Democrats in any state.
"This latest revelation strengthens our argument that Entenza violated Minnesota campaign finance disclosure laws in order to obscure the true extent of his contributions to his own caucus," said Republican Party chairman Ron Eibensteiner.
But Entenza, who disclosed the larger amount in response to questions from reporters who were seeking his reaction to a Republican attack earlier in the day, said there was nothing illegal or improper about his level of giving, enabled in large part by his wife's income as the head a major health-care company.
Entenza's base salary as a legislator comes to about $30,000, and he also has a part-time law practice. His wife, Lois Quam, is chief executive officer of Ovations, a major division of UnitedHealth Group.
"Lois and I both come from very humble beginnings. This state gave us a lot, and we're very, very proud to be able to give a little back to help keep the state we believe in," Entenza said.
Republican Party officials say they intend to file a complaint, perhaps at both the state and federal levels, alleging that the 21st Century contributions circumvented limits and disclosure laws. Republicans contend that the Entenza money paid directly for field staff workers who were working primarily on DFL House candidate campaigns.
Entenza and 21st Century officials insist that his contribution was confined to a Young Voter Project, aimed at turning out college students, and that other 21st Century funds were used for the House races. Entenza on Friday released a photocopy of one of three $100,000 checks he wrote to the 21st Century Democrats. On the memo line, there is the notation "Youth Voter."
Legal, but...
National campaign reform advocates generally have described the huge and unlimited flow of money to and from 527s as questionable and bad for public trust, but apparently legal. Giving to such groups, named for the section of tax law that authorizes them, soared in the 2004 presidential campaign, which produced such potent 527s as Americans Coming Together for the Democrats, and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for Republicans.
The Entenza contributions appear to be "strictly legal, but the bigger ethical question is the very fact that an individual can give this much," said David Schultz, a Hamline University professor who teaches ethics and election law.
Neglecting to immediately inform the news media about contributions is certainly not illegal, Schultz added, although Entenza may have violated the spirit of the principle of "transparency." Another of the "multiple ethical questions," Schultz said, is the degree to which Entenza has "so deeply indebted so many DFL legislators to himself."
Eibensteiner said: "Will those newly elected legislators take their marching orders from the voters of their districts or from Matt Entenza, who paid their way to the Capitol?"
A Republican House member, Jeff Johnson, R-Plymouth, called on Entenza Friday to fully disclose all details of his giving, including answers to questions such as why the DFL caucus didn't hire its own field workers. Entenza's estimates of his total contributions came in response to questions from Capitol reporters who were seeking his answer to Johnson's request.
Until then, Entenza had officially divulged only the $300,000 to the 21st Century Democrats, and his own contribution of about $75,000 to his own caucus. Much of the remaining amounts he and his wife contributed is not yet recorded on campaign finance records because the money was given after the last disclosure deadline but before the election. The reporting period for the last preelection disclosure ended Oct. 18, and final campaign reports aren't due until Feb. 1.
'There was a need'
Asked why he gave so much so late in the election and after the last preelection disclosure, Entenza said: "Because there was a need." Polls showed that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and President Bush were very close all through October, and DFL House campaign organizers sensed toward the end that they could take more seats than anyone expected.
Entenza said he would be happy to sit down with Johnson and Republicans to show them how his caucus financing and the structure of state party coordination was similar to past years. "That would probably be easier than talking through press conferences," Entenza said.
DFLers released statistics showing that Republicans also used large transfers from national party units to state party units, including about $663,000 from affiliated party units under the Joint State Victory Fund to a federal account for the Minnesota GOP.
Large as Entenza's contributions are, he is not the champion, even among DFLers, in total giving in Minnesota. Statistics compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group, show that Alida R. Messinger, a Minneapolis philanthropist and perennial big giver, contributed at least $2.5 million to seven liberal or Democrat-connected 527 groups.
Entenza noted that candidates such as U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, and Republican businessman Brian Sullivan have spent millions of dollars on their own campaigns in recent years.
Entenza gave this informal accounting of his and Quam's contributions: $300,000 to the 21st Century Democrats from Entenza; $75,000 to $80,000 each to the DFL Party and DFL House caucus from Entenza; $60,000 to $65,000 each to the DFL Party and the DFL House caucus from Quam, and miscellaneous smaller amounts to other groups and candidates, including Dayton (up for reelection in 2006) and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S. D., who was defeated for reelection. Source: Star Tribune, December 5, 2004
House Minority Leader Matt Entenza disclosed Friday that he and his wife gave a combined grand total of about $600,000 in political contributions to DFL Party groups, to a national "527" organization and to various Democratic candidates in the 2004 election cycle, an amount that could make the Entenza household one of the larger overall contributors in Minnesota.
The revelation added fuel to a controversy over the postelection discovery that Entenza gave $300,000 to 21st Century Democrats, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., that spent more than $200,000 in Minnesota turning out young voters and helping DFL House candidates, who almost regained the majority.
Republicans contend that the arrangement was illegal or improper and that the latest disclosure fits a pattern of Entenza trying to conceal the full extent of his personal giving and influence, at least until after the Nov. 2 election. On Election Day, DFLers made a net gain of 13 seats in the Minnesota House, one of the best showings by legislative Democrats in any state.
"This latest revelation strengthens our argument that Entenza violated Minnesota campaign finance disclosure laws in order to obscure the true extent of his contributions to his own caucus," said Republican Party chairman Ron Eibensteiner.
But Entenza, who disclosed the larger amount in response to questions from reporters who were seeking his reaction to a Republican attack earlier in the day, said there was nothing illegal or improper about his level of giving, enabled in large part by his wife's income as the head a major health-care company.
Entenza's base salary as a legislator comes to about $30,000, and he also has a part-time law practice. His wife, Lois Quam, is chief executive officer of Ovations, a major division of UnitedHealth Group.
"Lois and I both come from very humble beginnings. This state gave us a lot, and we're very, very proud to be able to give a little back to help keep the state we believe in," Entenza said.
Republican Party officials say they intend to file a complaint, perhaps at both the state and federal levels, alleging that the 21st Century contributions circumvented limits and disclosure laws. Republicans contend that the Entenza money paid directly for field staff workers who were working primarily on DFL House candidate campaigns.
Entenza and 21st Century officials insist that his contribution was confined to a Young Voter Project, aimed at turning out college students, and that other 21st Century funds were used for the House races. Entenza on Friday released a photocopy of one of three $100,000 checks he wrote to the 21st Century Democrats. On the memo line, there is the notation "Youth Voter."
Legal, but...
National campaign reform advocates generally have described the huge and unlimited flow of money to and from 527s as questionable and bad for public trust, but apparently legal. Giving to such groups, named for the section of tax law that authorizes them, soared in the 2004 presidential campaign, which produced such potent 527s as Americans Coming Together for the Democrats, and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for Republicans.
The Entenza contributions appear to be "strictly legal, but the bigger ethical question is the very fact that an individual can give this much," said David Schultz, a Hamline University professor who teaches ethics and election law.
Neglecting to immediately inform the news media about contributions is certainly not illegal, Schultz added, although Entenza may have violated the spirit of the principle of "transparency." Another of the "multiple ethical questions," Schultz said, is the degree to which Entenza has "so deeply indebted so many DFL legislators to himself."
Eibensteiner said: "Will those newly elected legislators take their marching orders from the voters of their districts or from Matt Entenza, who paid their way to the Capitol?"
A Republican House member, Jeff Johnson, R-Plymouth, called on Entenza Friday to fully disclose all details of his giving, including answers to questions such as why the DFL caucus didn't hire its own field workers. Entenza's estimates of his total contributions came in response to questions from Capitol reporters who were seeking his answer to Johnson's request.
Until then, Entenza had officially divulged only the $300,000 to the 21st Century Democrats, and his own contribution of about $75,000 to his own caucus. Much of the remaining amounts he and his wife contributed is not yet recorded on campaign finance records because the money was given after the last disclosure deadline but before the election. The reporting period for the last preelection disclosure ended Oct. 18, and final campaign reports aren't due until Feb. 1.
'There was a need'
Asked why he gave so much so late in the election and after the last preelection disclosure, Entenza said: "Because there was a need." Polls showed that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and President Bush were very close all through October, and DFL House campaign organizers sensed toward the end that they could take more seats than anyone expected.
Entenza said he would be happy to sit down with Johnson and Republicans to show them how his caucus financing and the structure of state party coordination was similar to past years. "That would probably be easier than talking through press conferences," Entenza said.
DFLers released statistics showing that Republicans also used large transfers from national party units to state party units, including about $663,000 from affiliated party units under the Joint State Victory Fund to a federal account for the Minnesota GOP.
Large as Entenza's contributions are, he is not the champion, even among DFLers, in total giving in Minnesota. Statistics compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group, show that Alida R. Messinger, a Minneapolis philanthropist and perennial big giver, contributed at least $2.5 million to seven liberal or Democrat-connected 527 groups.
Entenza noted that candidates such as U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, and Republican businessman Brian Sullivan have spent millions of dollars on their own campaigns in recent years.
Entenza gave this informal accounting of his and Quam's contributions: $300,000 to the 21st Century Democrats from Entenza; $75,000 to $80,000 each to the DFL Party and DFL House caucus from Entenza; $60,000 to $65,000 each to the DFL Party and the DFL House caucus from Quam, and miscellaneous smaller amounts to other groups and candidates, including Dayton (up for reelection in 2006) and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S. D., who was defeated for reelection. Source: Star Tribune, December 5, 2004
1 Comments:
In other words, Entenza's crime was that Republicans didn't think of this first.
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