Tulsa World: Self-loans bolster city campaign funds

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Self-loans bolster city campaign funds
Adelson loaned his campaign $850,000; Bartlett $30,000.

By P.J. LASSEK & BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writers
Published: 11/3/2009 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 11/3/2009 11:04 AM

Campaign Contributions:

View Tom Adelson's campaign contributions report.

View Dewey Bartlett's campaign contributions report.

View Mark Perkins' campaign contributions report.

View campaign contributions reports for City Council and City Auditor candidates.

At first blush, campaign contribution reports indicate Democratic mayoral candidate Tom Adelson has overwhelmingly out-raised Republican Dewey Bartlett Jr.

Adelson's report shows he has brought in nearly $1.3 million to Bartlett's almost $585,000 this election season.

But of Adelson's amount, $850,000 is a loan from himself, leaving the balance about $100,000 less than what Bartlett has raised. Bartlett loaned himself $30,000.

Independent candidate Mark Perkins has raised nearly

$53,000.

The deadline for filing campaign contributions and expenditures reports with the City Clerk's Office was Monday for the reporting period from Aug. 25 to Oct. 26. The primary election was held Sept. 8.

Another reporting deadline comes after the Nov. 10 general election.

Both Adelson and Bartlett have been criticized for their frequent TV ads targeting each other. Their reports show the effort has cost them plenty.

Adelson's radio and TV expenditures totaled about $679,000, while Bartlett's reached more than $250,000.

Adelson is a state senator and attorney while Bartlett is president of Keener Oil & Gas.

Perkins, an attorney, only had the money to air one TV commercial, while Adelson has had at least a dozen and Bartlett a half-dozen. The independent's report shows he spent $3,380 for radio and TV ads.

Mayor Kathy Taylor's husband, Bill Lobeck, donated $1,500 to Bartlett's campaign. Bartlett endorsed Taylor's re-election bid before she bowed out of the race last summer.

Taylor, however, gave $1,500 to Adelson's campaign in the first wave of contributions.

Adelson raised a total of $1,296,786, of which $1,012,684 is from this reporting cycle.

In addition to his loan, Adelson also has contributed $5,000 to his campaign previously.

Adelson received $500 from gubernatorial Democratic candidate Jari Askins, $2,500 from Cox PAC, $4,000 from Chickasaw Nation, and $1,000 from Francis Rooney, owner of Manhattan Construction, records show.

He also received $5,000 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, $2,500 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, $500 from Just Progress PAC, and $500 from OK Building Trades PAC.

Bartlett has raised a total of $584,500. Of his total, $298,257 was brought in during this reporting cycle.

In addition to his $30,000 loan, Bartlett previously donated $5,000.

His wife, Victoria Bartlett, has given $2,054, with half of that being called "in-kind services." Ann Bartlett, his mother, donated $1,000.

Other notable donations include $1,000 from former Mayor Bob LaFortune, $5,000 from real estate professional Mike Case, $2,500 from Cox PAC, $2,000 from Tulsa Build PAC and $1,000 from BOK Financial Corp. PAC.

Bartlett, as a member of the Tulsa Airport Authority, voted in favor of the $7.1 million settlement with Bank of Oklahoma over Great Plains Airlines.

Cash America International PAC gave Bartlett $500.

Cash America is a quick-loan, cash-advance chain. Adelson, as a senator, attempted legislation that would have clamped down on such operations and, as an attorney, defended victims of predatory lending.

Perkins has raised a total of $52,907, of which $23,699 was received this reporting period. Among his donors was Tulsa Build PAC, which gave $1,500.

The remaining municipal offices to be decided in the general election include four of the nine City Council seats and the city auditor position.

In District 3, independent incumbent David Patrick raised about twice as much as his rival opponent, Democrat Roscoe Turner, a former councilor.

Patrick's total in contributions is $24,863 to Turner's $11,127.

The Republican candidate, Karl Hulcher, raised a total of $2,100, all of which were loans he made to his campaign.

Of Patrick's total, $6,115 came from this election cycle. His donors include $1,000 from Realtor PAC, $500 from John Bumgarner Jr., $500 from Osage Executive Branch PAC, and $1,500 from Tulsa Build PAC.

Turner's total amount includes $3,930 raised in this reporting cycle. Among his donors are $500 from Just Progress, and $1,770 from Stephen Fox of New Millennium Fine Art of Santa Fe, N.M..

In the District 4 race, Republican incumbent Eric Gomez has raised $30,976 for this election, with $14,325 coming in this reporting cycle.

Among his donations are $3,000 from Tulsa Build PAC, $1,000 from Jay Helm and $500 from Ruth Nelson.

Democrat challenger Maria Barnes, a former councilor, has raised a total of $24,810. Of that, $10,425 is from this reporting period.

Among her donations are $500 from the mayor, $1,000 from Tulsa Firefighters Local 176 PAC, $1,000 from the Transport Workers Union PCC, $500 from AFSCME and $5,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

In the District 6 race, Republican candidate Jim Mautino, a former councilor, has raised $4,745 for this election, with only $260 coming in this reporting cycle. Democrat incumbent Dennis Troyer did not file a report.

District 9 Republican incumbent G.T. Bynum raised a total of $48,871 with $4,550 coming from this reporting cycle. Among his donors this cycle were the Realtors PAC, which gave $500, and his grandfather Bob LaFortune, who gave $500.

Democrat Roger Lowry did not file a report.

Brian Barber 581-8322
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com

P.J. Lassek 581-8382
pj.lassek@tulsaworld.com

By P.J. LASSEK & BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writers

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Loan from Adelson boosts his mayoral campaign contributions well over Bartlett's," which was published on 11/2/2009.

	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/2/2009 8:16:06 PM) Looks like the crooked TFD want to have a stacked deck, so they will never be accountable for any of their illegal actions.
	Report Comment beau3985, Tulsa (11/2/2009 8:55:59 PM) I thought the election was tomorrow. Isn't it supposed to be the first Tuesday after the first Monday? Is the Nov. 10th date a typo?
	Report Comment WhoseLeft, Tulsa (11/2/2009 9:09:54 PM) Not a typo, Beau. It is the tenth.
	Report Comment CEE, (11/2/2009 9:51:34 PM) I am curious. How are the loans to be repaid? Both $850,000 and $30,000 are a lot of money to be raised by a loser after the election. Donating to the winner after the election looks like an attempt to buy favorable treatment.
	Report Comment sweeper, (11/2/2009 9:51:34 PM) I'm thinking it makes sense to vote for the candidate who can do more with less.
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (11/2/2009 10:49:54 PM) So then sweeper, that means you are voting for Mark Perkins. :-) Me 2.
	Report Comment Elusive, the burbs (11/2/2009 10:55:07 PM) I hope the Underdog wins, Perkins.
	Report Comment Tony G, Tulsa (11/3/2009 6:13:00 AM) I have to worry about anyone's intent, after raising a over a 100,000 dollars for a job that pays 70k a year. I believe this city needs CLEAN elections. do a utube search on the idea.
	Report Comment BetterorWorse, (11/3/2009 6:49:12 AM) Cherokee1...It's kinda funny but when I read your post, the first thing that came to mind was: "I see a strong employment base," he (Bartlett) said. "I see strong opportunity — economic opportunity, political opportunity, neighborhood opportunity." But what Bartlett apparently doesn't see is how to specifically take advantage of those opportunities citing no concrete specifics of how to increase the employment base, increase public safety, reach out to neighborhoods, set aside political bickering (doing an outstanding job with the attack ads isnt he? - and he was saying he was going to unite Council and the Mayor's position to move this city forward) and encourage economic development. Sorry, saying you're going to be the 'job gettingest' Mayor isnt enough...how are you going to be the gettingest? (Is this George W. Bush reincarnate with the make up words?) Tulsans should demand specifics and not just take political fluff speech.
	Report Comment Loophole, (11/3/2009 6:53:21 AM) Seems that as usual, some are trying to BUY the election instead of running on their qualifications. . .
	Report Comment BetterorWorse, (11/3/2009 6:53:39 AM) And TonyG...the only reason anyone spends that kind of money is because they have an agenda to push...theirs or someone else's that supports them in their campaign. So far, Perkins seems to be the only one operating a campaign with a goal of serving the public and going after it with the least cost. If the two leading candidates wanted to really show what they were made of..they'd stop the extravagant spending on the political attack ads on radio and TV and donate that money to the City's general fund to help the very city employees and public they say they want to serve and protect.
	Report Comment nativedaughter, (11/3/2009 6:56:37 AM) This story tells you all you need to know about Adelson: he hasn't got enough support to raise money from believers; he is willing to buy your vote with his own money. ( just think what he would do with yours ); its certainly telling who the liberal is and who the conservative is in the race; he doesn't have the kinds of qualifications that even money can't buy; he's banking on alot of sheep showing up to the polls.
	Report Comment Nuff, (11/3/2009 7:05:36 AM) Kathy Taylor spent close to $3 Million on her campaign. Most of the money she loaned to herself. Bartlett and Adelson are small potatoes compared to Fat Kat. Once elected She didn't take a salary but instead used it to bolster her At-will appointee positions. And then 6 months into their posts she gave them raises equally 10 to 22% and a one time stipen of $2,000. She's nearly ruined the city. These two are no different. It's called POLITICS!
	Report Comment GARFIELD, TULSA (11/3/2009 7:32:29 AM) The t.v. and radio officials are LAUGHING and saying HALLELUJAH!! as they make their deposits at the bank. What fools these mortals be!! And, sadly we know, many politicians figure they can RECOUP any 'loan' they made to themselves once they TAKE OVER!!
	Report Comment Loophole, (11/3/2009 8:06:21 AM) Once again, if they don't need the paycheck, they don't need the job. . .
	Report Comment Few Clothes, America (11/3/2009 9:05:32 AM) As sweeper suggests do more with less. I want someone why will not keep turning a blind eye to the city's crime.
	Report Comment sweeper, (11/3/2009 9:28:39 AM) Do we want someone who can do less with more, or more with less? Day after day Perkins emerges as the clear choice.
	Report Comment ajohnb, Jenks (11/3/2009 10:09:48 AM) $850,000.00 loan to his campaign to become Mayor? Why is the mayor even a paying job? Sounds like they just need to put the job up for bid. That way the money could be used in the tax coffers!!
	Report Comment my view, Sand Springs (11/3/2009 10:52:44 AM) If I could vote Perkins would be my pick.
	Report Comment Webmeister, Tulsa (11/3/2009 12:46:47 PM) If self-financed millionaire Democrat Adelson follows Mayor Kathy Taylor's campaign playbook, if he wins, after the election he'll send out a letter to the local contractors, builders, and vendors who'll be solicited to help him repay his $850K loan. Kind of like, Pay-to-Play........? Welcome to the Good-Old-Boy Network.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/3/2009 1:18:13 PM) I wondered if Tom Adelson would receive a contribution from fellow democrat Susan Savage, after his latest campaign mail-out blasts the Great Plains Airline debacle. The same Susan Savage that pushed the Great Plains Airline onto the taxpayer's backs. But,....no contribution of the required reporting amount. I guess Madame Secretary of State Susie Savage just got crossed off the Adelson Christmas card mailing list. Who will give her another political appointment "job" when Brad Henry's term expires?...

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