Complaint says Chandler candidate received corporate contributions

Chandler City Council candidate Christine Ellis said she will return $2,800 in donations from corporations after a complaint was filed against her campaign.

The complaint notes corporations cannot directly donate to candidates.

Ellis said she believes $3,100 in donations from trusts, also questioned in the complaint, are acceptable.

The complaint, made by resident James Jurnak on July 21, also notes Ellis’ campaign finance report does not always provide the full name of donors, or their address and occupation, as the form requires. Information is missing for 34 of 36 donors in the latest campaign finance filing, the complaint alleges.

A $500 contribution is attributed only to “June” and a $150 contribution is listed as coming from “Jackie,” the complaint says.

“These reports are the only way for the public to know who is financially supporting candidates and to what extent,” Jurnak wrote in the complaint. “It is a disservice to, as well as deliberately misleading of, the voters in Chandler when a candidate who, if elected, would be charged with overseeing the hundreds of millions of dollars in the Chandler City budget, completes these relatively straightforward forms ... in such a shabby manner.”

The City Clerk’s Office the complaint.

Ellis told The Arizona Republic that she is working with her campaign staff to track down the missing information, correct the errors and amend the finance report. She said she would return the contributions made by corporations

“We’re taking care of it right away,” she said.

Ellis raised nearly $17,000 in the latest filing period and nearly $55,000 since the start of the election cycle, the second largest amount behind incumbent Jeremy McClymonds.

She is among six candidates vying for three seats on the City Council. Early voting is underway, by mail and at voting centers that are open around the Valley through Aug. 4.

Jurnak’s complaint

is reviewing

lists

six

questionable contributions from trusts or organizations that don’t appear to be registered political action committees or a political party.

The contributions made

March and June include: i $500 from Pastalino Manor LLC. i $3,000 from the E Daren and Phoxzee Elliott Revocable Trust.

$100 from the Robert and Maryanne Caccamo Revocable trust. i $300 from Integrity Matters LLC. i $1,000 from Good Samaritan Home Care LLC.

$1,000 from

Living LLC.

The corporate contributions appear to come from long-term care centers in the East Valley. Ellis, a registered nurse, owns several assisted living homes in the area.

Ellis said she was told by the business owners that their businesses were considered partnerships, which are allowed to make contributions to candidates, not corporations.

Ellis said she is returning the money to be on the safe side.

Candidates can only accept contributions from individuals, political action committees, political parties and partnerships under state law.

Corporations have long been prohibited from making campaign contributions directly to candidates because they typically have more money and power than individuals and could use that to “drown out other voices” in the electoral process, said Eric Spencer, an election attorney at Snell & Wilmer and Arizona’s former state election director.

Political action committees were designed as a lawful, alternative vehicle for corporations to participate in politics by allowing a company to set up a PAC that is affiliated with the corporation but financed by individual shareholders’, employees’ and their family members’ personal money, he said.

“The biggest no-no of all is accepting money from a corporation,” Spencer said. “There’s no scenario where a candidate can accept contributions from a corporation.”

He said contributions from trusts are less common and the law is less clear on what is acceptable.

People can use a living or revocable trust to hold their personal money.

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