ASA Files Campaign Finance Forms--Finally

Well, lookie-loo. Looks like some bad press and the attention of the District Attorney’s office finally forced Advocates for Student Achievement’s PAC to submit tardy campaign finance forms. A first!

Here’s what ASA-PAC treasurer Joe Dannecker signed and delivered to the City Election Commission on Friday, March 27:

January Continuing 2008: $100 from Joe Dannecker.

July Continuing 2008: No money raised.

January Continuing 2009: $100 from Michael W. Hatch.

Pre-primary 2009: $3,000 contribution from Marshall & Isley Corp. Political Action Committee on Jan. 8; $634.24 contribution to ASA-MKE Inc. to “pay for 2 questions on poll”; $600 contribution to Annie Woodward for Education on Feb. 5; $600 contribution to Friends to Elect ReDonna Rodgers on Feb. 5; $600 contribution to Voeltner for School Board on Feb. 5.

That’s interesting, because Woodward did not report that contribution on either her pre-primary report (filed on Feb. 9) or pre-election report (filed on March 29). Voeltner, however, reported it as an in-kind contribution on Feb. 6 on his pre-election report, dated March 29.

Pre-election 2009: $500 contribution from the Concerned Realtors Committee. No money was spent.

Now, why is this interesting? Because according to internal emails, ASA has been doing a lot of fundraising—or, perhaps more accurately, has been trying to do a lot of fundraising—and it even commissioned a poll, which it then passed on to its three candidates. None of that shows up in ASA-PAC’s campaign finance reports. So does that mean that ASA will argue that its supposedly nonpolitical arm was involved in political activities?