Published: July 25, 2008 01:34 am            

ELECTION 2008: County GOP leader criticizes Cole on financial disclosures

State Assemblyman Michael Cole’s latest tardy financial disclosure report drew fire, and an official complaint to the state, from Niagara County Republican Committee Chairman Henry F. Wojtaszek on Thursday.

Cole, R-Alden, was supposed to file a periodic financial statement with the state Board of Elections by July 15. He did not, and on Wednesday, Wojtaszek fired off a written complaint to the state board asking for investigation of whether Cole is skirting campaign finance disclosure law.

“Of the six periodic reports required to be filed since he became a member of the state Assembly, Mr. Cole has been delinquent in filing five of them — one report being as late as three months after it was due,” Wojtaszek wrote in the complaint. “I am requesting that the State Board ... determine whether Assemblyman Cole has willfully failed to comply with state law in an effort to avoid publicly disclosing his campaign receipts and expenditures during a contested primary election and I am requesting the Board to take appropriate action against Michael Cole for his delinquency.”

Cole said Thursday that his campaign treasurer was planning to file the overdue July 2008 periodic report electronically later in the day.

The reports do not list the date on which they’re filed. Wojtaszek said he learned about the tardiness of Cole’s past reports from a state election official and called it “a pattern.”

Cole flatly denied his campaign committee had ever filed a report three months late and said if any others were filed past legal deadlines, it’s because the campaign took time to ensure they were accurate.

Cole’s July 2008 report is late because, he said, he and his treasurer have been trying to clear up a “discrepancy” between the bottom line on his books and the balance of the bank account.

“It’s like balancing a checkbook; you have to go through it and find the error. I wouldn’t want to file something that’s erroneous,” Cole said. “If my reports are a little late for the sake of accuracy, it is what it is.”

Late reports are not uncommon among office-seekers, Cole said. It’s especially difficult for him because he doesn’t have a paid campaign staff, he added.

Cole challenger Jane Corwin filed her first periodic finance report on time. To date, in fact, she’s the only candidate for the 142nd Assembly District who has filed one. Candidates or their organizing committees must register with the state board once they’ve raised $50, and begin periodic finance reporting once they’ve raised $1,000.

Corwin, a business executive from Clarence, is challenging Cole for the Republican line in coming race. Cole narrowly landed the GOP endorsement in a May nominating convention, but Corwin is the choice of Erie and Niagara county party executives, including Wojtaszek. She also is backed by the Independence and Conservative parties.

Since May, Corwin’s finance report shows, she raised nearly $203,000 for her campaign — but $160,000 is loans from herself. Another $12,500 is from four family members. The rest, $30,500, was raised mostly from district residents giving gifts of $99 to $500.

The report also shows Corwin spent about $54,000, since mid-April, on office, promotional, consulting, fundraising and campaign staff. She reported having about $148,000 on hand as of July 15.

Cole said his report will show a campaign fund balance of about $31,000.

The state Board of Elections does not verify receipt, or discuss the specifics, of complaints filed with it about a candidate’s conduct, spokesman Bob Brehm said.

Contact reporter Joyce Miles at 439-9222, ext. 6245.

        

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