All 19 Osage Nation general election candidates have submitted their first campaign reporting statements to the Election Office and those charged $500 fines paid them to remain in good standing for their votes to be counted.
The ON Election Board reviewed the submitted campaign reporting statements, which were found to have deficiencies, during a May 29 special meeting. That date was also a final deadline for any past due statements to be submitted.
The Election Office reported the four candidates who missed the May 18 deadline to submit campaign reporting statements had done so and the $500 fines were paid by May 30. Those individuals who were fined $500 by the Election Board were Congressional candidates Michael Kidder, Geneva Horsechief-Hamilton, Clair Wood and Assistant Principal Chief candidate Otto Hamilton.
In reviewing the campaign reporting statements during the May 29 meeting, the Election Board said several campaign reporting statements still contained deficiencies and those candidates with deficient statements would be fined at the scheduled June 12 Election Board meeting.
Per the Osage election rules and regulations, the Election Board requires candidates to open a separate bank account in the name of the candidate or candidate’s campaign, which all donations, including self-donations, shall be deposited for any and all campaign purposes. All donations (from individuals, corporations, LLCs, business entities, etc.) shall be reported, as well as expenditures from the beginning of the campaign up to the statement filing date shall be reported in the campaign reporting statements.
Deficiencies noted in the campaign reporting statements included mathematical errors or missing information, according to Election Board Chairwoman Shannon Lockett. After review and discussion of the submitted statements, the board unanimously passed the following motions:
– Board member Anita Fields motioned to certify – with no deficiencies – campaign reporting statements for: Congressional candidates Mary Jo Pratt, Scott BigHorse, Angela Pratt, Paula Stabler, William “Kugee” Supernaw, Amanda Proctor, Thomas Trumbly, Colt Herren, Tina Allen and Principal Chief candidates Geoffrey Standing Bear and Maria Whitehorn.
– Fields motioned to certify – with deficiencies and fines to be determined at the June 12 meeting – campaign reporting statements for: Congressional candidates Brandy Lemon, Michael Kidder, Horsechief-Hamilton and Wood, and Assistant Principal Chief candidate Hamilton.
Lockett said the board will revisit the first campaign reporting statements with deficiencies at the June 12 meeting and will determine possible fines at that time. That meeting date also falls one day after the deadline for all candidates to submit a second and final campaign reporting statement to detail remaining campaign donations and expenses after the May 18 first statement deadline.
The three candidates who turned in their reports by the May 18 deadline and did not have deficiencies were Congressional candidates Alice Goodfox, Eli Potts, and Assistant Principal Chief candidate Raymond Red Corn.
By
Benny Polacca
Original Publish Date: 2018-06-01 00:00:00
