39% MYSTERY
A late ELEC report, and then yesterday's discovery: 39% of Giattino Joint Committee receipts (contributions and loans) were paid by wire transfer to "Tungsten LLC, 1530 16th Street NW #607, Washington DC.
The service provided was "political consulting."
The service provided was "political consulting."
Google searches returned zilch for a "Tungsten LLC" in the District of Columbia.
Tracing that address back led to an apartment address of a Republican National Committee employee whose LinkedIn resume lists his top skills as "political campaigns" and "political consulting." The resident, Russ Belli-Estreito, lists his current employment as "Chief Copywriter at Trump Make America Great Again Committee" at the RNC.
Then last night, Giattino Campaign co-Chair, Tiffanie Fisher posted on my Facebook page:
FISHER: This is an unfortunate coincidence. Tungsten is the progressive company that provided campaign consulting and canvassing services to Jen’s campaign. We’ve learned after inquiry that it was established a few years ago at the home address of one of the principles. He no longer lives at that address. Jen nor her campaign have given any money to the person referenced in the article who apparently now lives in that apartment according to this article. Nancy did not reach out to any of us for comment or clarification before writing this...
GA: The address (for Tungsten LLC) came from your ELEC report. You are saying that is not the correct address of the company? Why is an incorrect address on your ELEC? What is the correct address then, and who is the principal? I can only go by what is there on your report in black and white. I also did not find a "Tungsten LLC" in searches I have done. May I have their email address?
FISHER: The address apparently is an apartment. I don’t know why it was never changed. I’d encourage you to reach out to the person in your article to confirm your theory.
GA: No, Tiffanie. I encourage you to provide the correct address and principal and contact info for Tungsten LLC. There is no "theory"- the address is on your ELECS. Nothing theoretical about the White Pages. Got the address from your ELEC, the resident from the White Pages. The RNC fellow lives there. I see $73.9K wired to a company at that address in DC on your report. That is no theory.
THE PLOT THICKENS
So, if the address on the ELEC for Tungsten, LLC was wrong, what's the correct address?
Last night, a reader tip came in to look for Tungsten, LLC on the DC Business Center database.
Found it!
So that clears up the 39% Mystery!
Um... no.
Because the address for Tungsten LLC on the DC Business Center database, 1725 I Street NW # 900 Washington DC 20006 , is the corporate headquarters for Sentrana, a business consulting firm- not a "progressive company that provides campaign consulting and canvassing services."
From Sentrana's "About" page:
Sentrana helps business leaders holistically coordinate their marketing, pricing, product mix and sales activities to drive demand for their products and services.
Look, if it were a couple of bucks sent off to Washington D.C. for some campaign-related service, who would care?
But $73,986.50 is a lot of money. The campaign wired this money somewhere.
WHERE? To WHOM?
The public (and Giattino campaign donors) have a right to know.
It is not a blogger's job to "clear up" the campaign's financial reporting- it is the campaign's.
I certainly will post the clarification that is provided by the campaign. Anyone who can provide the correct information on this expenditure can jump on and comment below or send it to me offline.
Just curious: why a Washington D.C. campaign consultant for a Hoboken grassroots campaign?
Note to readers: any member of the public who wants to spend a few bucks can research "Tungsten LLC"-- a Dun and Bradstreet report would be lovely. How about it?
DC is an expensive place to live, I used to work there. So what if the Trump guy did some freelance consulting. He sure overcharged the campaign bigly.
ReplyDeletePolitical consultants are hired because of the body of work they have done in prior campaigns. A person's body of work in consulting circles is how employers judge a person in consulting. As for "overcharging", considering she finished in 4th place and never had a chance at winning, anything over $1 was probably too much.
DeleteSo who exactly is the person behind this firm? If it was someone completely different, then it is way past time for Jen's campaign to pipe up.
Looks like the spin with run-offs will be "I'm for instant run-offs" so as to sidestep the fact that the public already rejected run-offs. There is no provision for instant run-offs. It's tantamount to saying "I'm for a third political party." Sounds good, not happening.
ReplyDeleteIn any case it's crap. It's abundantly clear that the 2nd choice for team Giattino is Cammarano Jr. If there were instant run-offs, they'd have made him mayor.
But saying they support a non-option allows them to avoid the embarrassment of stating why they themselves strongly opposed run-offs in the past. Instead you'll just get more claptrap about "letting the voters decide" something that they already decided. And the "importance of majority rule" in a matter that was already decided by a clear majority.
Harry Truman desegregated the army by executive order. It would never have happened by "majority rule." Sometimes an executive must act and take the heat from those who are unready or unwilling to think about what is at stake. December run-offs will hand the city back to the Old Guard, full stop. That can't be allowed to happen.
Without explanation this will end up being an issue for #3rdPlaceInHerWard #LostMyOwnDistrict Jen Giattino in 2019. I am assuming Michael Lenz was already advising/luring Jen and Tiffanie into creating an alliance with Michael D.
ReplyDeleteI bet that will accelerate now. The politically convenient, morally bankrupt, we just want to survive transformation is acceratjnf. Prettt soon Kurt Gardiner will start advocating for a floating pool and an even higher out of scale hotel on the waterfront.
Wow! That is all I can say. Remember all the things I said along the way during the campaign?? WOW!!!
Delete