[Vision2020] Sali Lags in Fundraising Race

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (July 19, 2008) Spokesman Review -

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Campaign Funds:

» Idaho Rep. Bill Sali's campaign says he raised $155,000 in the latest 
reporting period, and ended it with $250,000 in cash on hand and $126,000 
in debt.

» Democratic challenger Walt Minnick raised $286,184 during the same 
period, and came out with $444,134 on hand and no debt.

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Sali lags in fundraising race 
Incumbent also beset with filing problems

BOISE – Freshman Idaho U.S. Rep. Bill Sali is being out-fundraised by his 
Democratic challenger and is having such serious problems with the federal 
campaign finance reporting system that he hasn't filed his July 15 report 
and has filed nine amendments to earlier reports since June 1.

"Our campaign manager has been on the phone with the FEC all morning 
working on this," Sali spokesman Wayne Hoffman said Friday.

He noted that Sali's challenger, former timber products firm CEO Walt 
Minnick, has donated $160,191 to his own campaign since he entered the 
race last fall. "Like a lot of other Idahoans, Bill Sali is not a 
multimillionaire and he doesn't have $150,000 to give to his own 
campaign," Hoffman said. "He's having to work hard to raise money and he's 
doing that."
 
Minnick's campaign spokesman, John Foster, said, "Walt's contributions to 
his own campaign are just a small part of a much larger base of support we 
have from around Idaho. He's been pleased with the fundraising so far, but 
it's still going to be a very tough election."

In the latest reporting period, Minnick raised $286,184 in campaign funds, 
including $50,000 of his own money. At the close of the period, according 
to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Minnick's campaign 
had $444,134 in cash on hand and no debt.

Sali's campaign released estimates showing it raised $155,000 in the same 
reporting period, and had about $250,000 in cash on hand and $126,000 in 
debt at the close of the period.

Hoffman noted that the debt has been steadily reduced since the end of the 
2006 campaign, when FEC reports show it stood at $234,900. But if the 
estimates are correct, Sali paid off less than $10,000 of that campaign 
debt in the last reporting period; it stood at $135,574 as of his last 
official report shortly before the May primary election.

"Every reporting cycle, Congressman Sali has gained support," Hoffman 
said. "He continues to gain support. And frankly, he's gaining support 
among Idahoans who actually cast ballots in the November election."

According to FEC spokesman Bob Biersack, Sali appears to be one of only 
two congressmen who haven't yet filed their required July 15 quarterly 
campaign finance reports.

"There are problems with some data that Congressman Sali has been trying 
to submit, and we're still working with the committee to determine what 
caused those problems and how they might be handled," Biersack said.

Said Hoffman: "What the FEC is telling us is … when we uploaded our report 
two years ago, it was uploaded out of order. That's been causing the 
software to fail as we've tried to upload other filings since then."

Hoffman said that's a factor in why the campaign has had to file so many 
amended versions of its campaign finance reports – it has filed 41 
amendments since 2005. Others were to make mostly small changes in 
reported numbers and add additional information requested by the FEC.

Biersack said, "It's not at all uncommon for committees to submit 
amendment reports." 

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Seeya at Farmers' Market, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college 
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)


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