Salem, be wary of Citizens for a Livable Community

A few days ago I wrote "Fascinating facts about contributions to Salem City Council candidates."

The compilation of contributions that I shared had Citizens for a Livable Community as a major donor to each of the conservative candidates: Jan Kailuweit, Brad Nanke, Jose Gonzalez, and Reid Sund.

That got me to wondering, "What the heck is Citizens for a Livable Community?"

I'd never heard of the group before. So who are those citizens with such a concern for making our community livable? And why are they only contributing to conservative candidates?

Well, the answers to those questions point to why Oregon has a ways to go before its campaign finance system is truly transparent.

The person who sent me the compilation of contributions told me that ORESTAR, the state's campaign finance web site, used to show a listing for a Citizens for a Livable Community PAC that had the same address as New Media Northwest, the political consulting firm run by Chuck Adams.

But when I went to look for that listing, I couldn't find it. So it appears that this PAC was dissolved.

However, some Googling turned up a link to a similarly-named organization, Citizens for Livable Communities. And the Corporation Division listing showed that indeed, the registered agent is Chuck Adams.

I'm assuming that Citizens for a Livable Community is connected with the similarly-named Citizens for Livable Communities web site, which has a Donate page.

The site is vague about what, exactly, it does with donations. A Who We Are section says, "Citizens for Livable Communities (CLC) is an organization dedicated to improving the local economy, creating jobs, and enhancing the livability of the Mid-Willamette Valley."

OK, that sounds good. But the reality is that the registered agent for Citizens for a Livable Community, Chuck Adams, is the owner of New Media Northwest, a public affairs and political consulting firm based here in Salem.

New Media Northwest apparently has been hired by each of the four conservative candidates running for the Salem City Council who, as noted above, are Jan Kailuweit, Brad Nanke, Jose Gonzalez, and Reid Sund.

Now, what's weird is that not only are conservative city council candidates paying New Media Northwest/Chuck Adams for political consulting services, in one case (Jose Gonzalez) New Media Northwest also is one of the largest contributors ($850). Also, Citizens for a Livable Community has contributed in-kind services to each of the campaigns.

For example, here's an ORESTAR screenshot of an in-kind contribution Reid Sund received from Citizens for a Livable Community/Chuck Adams: $500 worth of online and social media advertising.

Meanwhile, the Reid Sund campaign is paying New Media Northwest/Chuck Adams for various services, such as $2,540.99 for literature, brochures, printing, postage.

So it sure looks like Chuck Adams is getting donations via the Citizens for Livable Communities web site, then spending that money on in-kind contributions to city council campaigns that he is working for through New Media Northwest.

This is legal, because a business or charity can make in-kind contributions to political campaigns so long as those contributions are reported by the campaign.

But this shows the secretive tangled web of Oregon's campaign finance system. 

There's no indication on the Citizens for Livable Communities web site that the registered agent for Citizens for a Livable Community is Chuck Adams, a political consultant.

So when an in-kind contribution from this Public Benefit organization appears on a city council candidate's campaign finances report, it takes some digging to find out that the contribution is coming from the same Chuck Adams who is serving as a consultant to the campaign.

If you get a mailing from Citizens for a Livable Community, keep in mind that it is coming from Chuck Adams, who has a long history of engaging in rough campaign tactics. 

Comments

[E.M.]

Does this mean the (CLC), an organization dedicated to improving the local economy, creating jobs, and enhancing the livability of the Mid-Willamette Valley, is exempt from State Law?

ORS 260.044
"If a person makes independent expenditures in a total amount of more than $750 in a calendar year, the person shall use the electronic filing system adopted under ORS 260.057 (Electronic campaign finance filing system) to file with the Secretary of State a statement of independent expenditures not later than seven calendar days after the total amount of independent expenditures exceeds $750 in a calendar year."

ORS 260.049
"(1) If the major source of revenue of a corporation is paid-in-capital and the primary purpose of the corporation is to support or oppose any candidate, measure or political party, and the corporation has made a contribution or an expenditure for that purpose, the corporation shall report to the Secretary of State the names, addresses and occupations of its shareholders and shall report the amount of paid-in-capital attributable to each shareholder."

[Kurt]

The ability to scientifically target the undecided, using social media, would be the determining factor in any of these races if they are close. I wonder whether Mr. Adams has the ability to do that?