Outside groups spending big for Kenney as election nears

A week after the campaign finance guns were shown by the top three mayoral candidates, James Kenney, Anthony H. Williams and Lynne Abraham are continuing to gather ammunition.

Last week's campaign finance reporting deadline showed that Kenney and Williams had raised $1.3 million each and Abraham raised $1 million. Since then, any campaign that receives or gives a donation of more than $500 must report it within 24-hours.

We've been tracking those reports all week.

The mayoral candidates have each received thousands in donations in the last week. The candidates aren't required to disclose how much of that money they have spent so far.

The big spenders have been the outside PACs and independent expenditure political action committees supporting Kenney.

Working America, a Washington D.C.-based PAC with ties to AFL-CIO, has paid $6,021 for hotel lodging Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in their support of Jim Kenney, according to reports filed this week. Twenty-five Working America trainers are staying at the Homewood Suites on City Avenue and Windsor Suites on the Parkway, while they are in town working with members of their local team on a Get Out the Vote effort.

The Worker's Voice, also in D.C. and an affiliate of AFL-CIO, paid $17,000 for Jim Kenney for Mayor direct mailing services and doorhangers.

The Turnout Project, another Washington D.C.-based PAC, paid $5,575 for "robo calls in support of Jim Kenney for Mayor."

Building for a Better Philadelphia, one of the two independent expenditure committees supporting Kenney, spent $100,000 on Wednesday for a media buy for Kenney.

Forward Philadelphia, another independent expenditure group supporting Kenney, spent $108,128 in polling, direct mailings and another media buy, according to the reports filed.

As for direct donations to campaigns, Kenney's campaign has received tens of thousands more in donations since last week's filing deadline. One of his biggest contributors was a $11,500 check from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades political action committee. Kenney also received $4,000 from the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors.

Williams received several thousands in new donations, the largest being $5,000 from the Commonwealth Commerce Fund, which has a registered Jenkintown address that is the home of Sean Kilkenny, a zoning and land development lawyer.

Diaz received $5,000 total from four new donors, including $2,900 from the campaign committee of Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown.

Abraham also raised an additional $5,000 as of Friday, with the largest individual contribution, $2,000, coming from Stephen Cozen.

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