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Melrose Dem Party and Current Candidates Repeatedly Violate Campaign Laws and Required to Pay Fine

A small but significant example of the contemptuous and despicable conduct of the local Dems, especially when it comes to state and federal laws. Take note that those in violation are current candidates and/or party officers.

"Melrosee Dems Rack Up Campaign Finance Violations"
Letters from the Office of Campaign Finance reveal illegal fundraising of Melrose Democratic City Committee on eve of local election.
By Alice Shattuck (Patch Poster) - Updated Nov 6, 2017 12:20 pm ET

The following information was provided to both of the local Melrose newspapers in time for the election-related deadline for the weekly paper two weeks ago. Both papers chose not to print or further report on this information before the local election on November 7th.

(Melrose) – The Melrose Democrats have been keeping busy under their new leadership team, made up of Samantha Hammar, Manisha Gadia Bewtra, Peter Navarra and Peter Mortimer. Unfortunately, in addition to ordinary local activism, they have also been busy racking up campaign finance law violations. Letters from the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance addressed to Treasurer Peter Mortimer over the last 12 months reveal at least three infractions, one of which was serious enough to incur a $300 penalty for illegal fundraising activity.

This troubling pattern of disregard for legal campaign finance requirements raises serious questions about the officers of the committee, three of whom are running for local office in the November 7th municipal election. Treasurer Mortimer is running for re-election to the Ward 6 seat on the Melrose Board of Aldermen, where he serves as Chairman of the city's Appropriations Committee. Co-Vice Chairmen Manisha Gadia Bewtra and Peter Navarra are running for Alderman-at-Large and School Committee respectively.

"The fact that these infractions are occurring so frequently is definitely a concern," stated Alice Shattuck, Vice Chairman of the Melrose Republican City Committee. "These laws are written to ensure transparency and fairness in our elections process, and for a group that is so active in local politics to be repeatedly violating them shows a lack of respect for the public trust."

The first letter, dated December 8, 2016, states that Mortimer failed to file an accurate 2015 year-end report for the committee, reporting over $1,500 in reimbursements directly to members of the committee without disclosing the purpose for the political spending. In addition, the letter states, Mortimer omitted an in-kind donation to the committee from his reporting. Further review indicates this was a donation made by Congresswoman Katherine Clark that remained unknown to the public until the OCPF required Mortimer to re-file a corrected report last year.

The second letter, dated June 21, 2017, details how the Melrose Democratic City Committee posted fundraising solicitations for their political activities inside of Melrose public buildings, a violation of Massachusetts law, which prohibits public resources from being used in political fundraising. This activity, which the letter states "clearly did not comply with the campaign finance law," resulted in the committee paying a penalty of $300 to the Commonwealth.

With the Committee currently using their funds to plaster the city with fliers for their chosen candidates in the local election tomorrow, voters deserve to know the fundraising habits of the Democratic City Committee. The candidates aided by these activities include those mentioned above as well as Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Michael Zwirko, Frank Wright, Robert Boisselle, Jennifer McAndrew, John Obremski and Jennifer Razi-Thomas."

https://patch.com/massachusetts/melrose/melrose-dems-rack-campaign-finance-violations

Re: Melrose Dem Party and Current Candidates Repeatedly Violate Campaign Laws and Required to Pay Fi

Melrosian
A small but significant example of the contemptuous and despicable conduct of the local Dems, especially when it comes to state and federal laws. Take note that those in violation are current candidates and/or party officers.

"Melrosee Dems Rack Up Campaign Finance Violations"
Letters from the Office of Campaign Finance reveal illegal fundraising of Melrose Democratic City Committee on eve of local election.
By Alice Shattuck (Patch Poster) - Updated Nov 6, 2017 12:20 pm ET

The following information was provided to both of the local Melrose newspapers in time for the election-related deadline for the weekly paper two weeks ago. Both papers chose not to print or further report on this information before the local election on November 7th.

(Melrose) – The Melrose Democrats have been keeping busy under their new leadership team, made up of Samantha Hammar, Manisha Gadia Bewtra, Peter Navarra and Peter Mortimer. Unfortunately, in addition to ordinary local activism, they have also been busy racking up campaign finance law violations. Letters from the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance addressed to Treasurer Peter Mortimer over the last 12 months reveal at least three infractions, one of which was serious enough to incur a $300 penalty for illegal fundraising activity.

This troubling pattern of disregard for legal campaign finance requirements raises serious questions about the officers of the committee, three of whom are running for local office in the November 7th municipal election. Treasurer Mortimer is running for re-election to the Ward 6 seat on the Melrose Board of Aldermen, where he serves as Chairman of the city's Appropriations Committee. Co-Vice Chairmen Manisha Gadia Bewtra and Peter Navarra are running for Alderman-at-Large and School Committee respectively.

"The fact that these infractions are occurring so frequently is definitely a concern," stated Alice Shattuck, Vice Chairman of the Melrose Republican City Committee. "These laws are written to ensure transparency and fairness in our elections process, and for a group that is so active in local politics to be repeatedly violating them shows a lack of respect for the public trust."

The first letter, dated December 8, 2016, states that Mortimer failed to file an accurate 2015 year-end report for the committee, reporting over $1,500 in reimbursements directly to members of the committee without disclosing the purpose for the political spending. In addition, the letter states, Mortimer omitted an in-kind donation to the committee from his reporting. Further review indicates this was a donation made by Congresswoman Katherine Clark that remained unknown to the public until the OCPF required Mortimer to re-file a corrected report last year.

The second letter, dated June 21, 2017, details how the Melrose Democratic City Committee posted fundraising solicitations for their political activities inside of Melrose public buildings, a violation of Massachusetts law, which prohibits public resources from being used in political fundraising. This activity, which the letter states "clearly did not comply with the campaign finance law," resulted in the committee paying a penalty of $300 to the Commonwealth.

With the Committee currently using their funds to plaster the city with fliers for their chosen candidates in the local election tomorrow, voters deserve to know the fundraising habits of the Democratic City Committee. The candidates aided by these activities include those mentioned above as well as Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Michael Zwirko, Frank Wright, Robert Boisselle, Jennifer McAndrew, John Obremski and Jennifer Razi-Thomas."

https://patch.com/massachusetts/melrose/melrose-dems-rack-campaign-finance-violations



OMG... a $300 fine for leaving fliers in a public building. How could it be so low? Why they didn't immediately arrested Mortimer, I will never know.

I am actually more concerned about someone so incompetent at writing articles that the only quote in the article is the author quoting HERSELF. Also, shocking timing of this HUGE REVELATION from June to come the day before the election. Seems like Melrose Repugs are nervous that their slate of uninformed newcomers might keep embarrassing themselves on Facebook and under perform at the polls.

Re: Melrose Dem Party and Current Candidates Repeatedly Violate Campaign Laws and Required to Pay Fi

"Dingus Egg" just another disgusting Trumpian Melrose Dem apologist.