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Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Press Release: Dickie Drake Follows in GOP Footsteps with Intentional Deceit

 

Judge Mark Kennedy, Chairman of the Alabama Democrats, is calling for the disqualification of Dickie Drake as a candidate for the House District 45 special election after Drake failed to report thousands in contributions and spending.

“These aren’t accidents,” Kennedy said. This is a systematic attempt by Republicans to break our campaign finance laws. Every time they get caught they come up with some excuse, but it’s time they took responsibility. That’s why we insist that Dickie Drake be disqualified as a candidate for House District 45.”

On the disclosure required 5-10 days before a runoff election that Drake filed on October 5, 2011, Drake failed to report $5,500 in campaign contributions he received while campaigning for the October 11 run-off election against Tommy Joe Alexander.

Additionally, Drake reported no financial activity whatsoever in the last week of the run-off election in this report. Drake’s total spending for the run-off period – following the August 30 primary and running up to an October 17 financial filing – totals only $3900, despite at least eight direct mail pieces produced by the Dickie Drake campaign against his run-off opponent.

Under Alabama law these intentional failures to disclose are grounds for disqualification and removal from the ballot. The Democratic Party has made an official request with Secretary of State Beth Chapman to disqualify Drake for violating Alabama campaign finance laws.

“I’ve been a candidate before and I know these mail pieces aren’t cheap,” said Kennedy. “The cost of the design, printing, and postage must be reported just like any other expenditure. Each piece carries the disclaimer that they were paid for by Drake’s campaign, but there’s no evidence of that in the reports he is supposed to make available to the public.”

Kennedy also asked that Attorney General Luther strange, along with the district attorneys of Jefferson and St. Clair Counties, investigate Drake for his questionable campaign practices. This request comes on the heels of several other campaign finance violations by other Republican leaders and organizations.

“What are they teaching their candidates about the law over at the Republican Party? With each new revelation of the Republicans’ systematic deception you have to wonder if their whole ethics reform effort last year was just a sham,” Kennedy added.

“Last week my Republican counterpart Bill Armistead called me the ‘campaign finance chief of police.’ If they had any understanding of the law, I wouldn’t have to be. Until the Republican Party quits trying to cheat the system, I am more than happy to be the one to hold them accountable.”

For more information and detailed evidence of Mr. Drake's failure to report, download our packet of evidence - including copies of his finance reports and the mail pieces Drake failed to disclose.