Last updated on February 9th, 2013 at 03:17 pm
Who Does Michele Bachmann Represent?
Rep. Bachmann 6th (MN) just released a new ad ironically called “Michele Is Here,” with the opening line, “She’s here every week fighting for Minnesota jobs because she’s a job creator, too. Michele Bachmann is here.”
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Her campaign committee’s financial statements paint a very different picture.
Total operating expenditures ~ $6,697,871
Out-of-state operating expenditures ~ $5,916,046
In-state operating expenditures ~ $781,825
6th District operating expenditures to all companies ~ $184,225
6th District operating expenditures for locally owned businesses ~ $70,222
The percentage of the money spent is even more telling.
Out of state expenditures were 88.33%.
In state expenditures were 11.67%.
6th District expenditures for locally owned small businesses were 1%.
Job creation comes from demand, from consumers spending money with local small businesses. Not only is Michele Bachmann spending her supporters’ hard earned money out of her district, she is being less than truthful with her messaging to her constituents.
Rep. Bachmann is a fundraising phenomenon and FEC filings show why she is one of the top fundraisers in the House. Why? She uses consultants and fundraising specialists who are very good at it, but also very expensive.
Fundraising costs below include consultants, list rentals, postage, printing, fundraising fees and numerous other expenses:
Total fundraising expenses $6,072,458
Out of state fundraising expenses $5,655,631
In state fundraising expenses $416,827
6th District fundraising expenses for locally owned businesses $46,144.
Once again the percentage of where the money was spent is even more telling.
Out of state expenditures were 93.13%.
In state expenditures were 6.87%.
6th District expenditures for locally owned small businesses were .7 of 1%.
While there is no way to exactly figure how much it costs her campaign for every dollar that is raised until the final filings are done, a reasonable estimate would be that her campaign fundraising is roughly spending 65-75 cents for every dollar it raises.
While the 6th District is only about 145 miles long, the amount of money her campaign spent in the last two years belies her “local job creator status”. According to the documents her treasurer Daniel Puhl filed with the FEC, here is where they spent their travel money:
Out of state expenditures: $194,070
In state expenditures: $36,327
6th District expenditures $10,919
Finally, one company in Minnesota did quite well from Rep. Bachmann’s campaign spending. That company is Cardinal Caging Services and its sister company Cardinal FEC Compliance Services, both based in St. Paul, MN. In the last two years her campaign has paid the companies $271,653 for accounting and FEC filings.
Who is the owner and founder of these companies?
Daniel Puhl, Bachmann’s campaign treasurer.
Why does this $271,653 amount from Bachmann’s campaign stand out? Below are the amounts listed in FEC filings for the last two years for every candidate for the House. Other than Bachmann’s campaign, these are the total payments to the two Cardinals companies.
BOLAND FOR CONGRESS $92.50
CRAVAACK FOR CONGRESS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $42,426.65
DEMMER FOR CONGRESS $235.00
COMMITTEE TO ELECT DAN DOLAN $1659.00
CHRIS FIELDS FOR CONGRESS $1,473.42
STEVE OELRICH FOR CONGRESS $135.00
PARRY FOR CONGRESS $603.50
Good work if you can get it.
Rep. Michele Bachmann is the current Representative of Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District. Her “Principal Campaign Committee” according to the FEC is BACHMANN FOR CONGRESS and its treasurer is Daniel Puhl, Candidate’s committees are required to file quarterly reports with the FEC of their finances every three months, in addition to other reports as required by the FEC. All figures used for this article are from the period 1/1/2011 to 10/17/2012. The 2010 census was used for determining the zip codes for determining Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District’s figures.
