Ethics Board warns Philly political bosses for not filing finance reports
The Philadelphia Ethics Board is going after city wards that have failed to file campaign finance reports.
The Philadelphia Ethics Board is going after city wards that have failed to file campaign finance reports.
In a two-part series this week, The Next Mayor project reported that more than two dozen wards have failed to file any disclosures with the city or the state. By ignoring the law, they keep in the dark any record of what they raised and spent. It amounts to an estimated $750,000.
J. Shane Creamer, executive director of the Ethics Board said certified letters were sent to all the wards identified as failing to file, reminding them of the requirement, which is part of the city code.
The state also requires wards to file with the state Bureau of Elections, a provision that dates back to 1978.
When the Ethics Board speaks, politicians tend to listen because it has the power to apply stiff fines for failure to comply: $250 a day, up to $2,000 the first month, and $1,000 for each month thereafter.
"So, if someone didn't file for three months, the fine could amount to $5,000," Creamer said. The letters were sent out on Oct. 13 after the board's staff noticed a pattern of missing wards in the city's records.
Several ward leaders contacted last week said they had received the letter and were in the process of complying. The requirement is not retroactive. The Board is not making the wards file reports for the first three reporting cycles this year, but they are requiring reports for this year's remaining cycles and continuing in all subsequent years.
Failing to file with the state is a different matter. The maximum fine is $25 a day and is capped at $250. That level was also set in 1978 and hasn't been changed in the last 37 years.
Some politicos who fail to file have candidly admitted that they see the state fine simply as a cost of doing business — a small price to pay for keeping your spending records secret.
In the state, filers can submit paper reports, which are transcribed into a online database. In the city, they are required to file electronically, using software made available by the city.