Puckett firing his treasurer; Financial report shows overdrawn debit charges.

By ED RONCO, Tribune Staff Writer

Tools

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Aug 18, 2008 at 10:01 PM EST

Story Updated: Aug 18, 2008 at 10:01 PM EST

SOUTH BEND — Republican congressional candidate Luke Puckett said Monday he will remove campaign treasurer Art Willis after the discovery that his campaign paid almost $2,000 in bank service fees to Lake City Bank from late April through the end of June.

Sixty different payments to the bank, 53 of which were for $34 each, appear in a report the campaign filed Monday with federal officials. The payments, which total $1,946, started on April 30 and run through the end of the reporting period on June 30.

Sixteen of the payments were made June 2.

“That was a group of debit card transactions that were drawn against an account that didn’t cover them,” Willis said Monday.

The expenses were mostly meeting and travel expenses, he said.

“When Luke or (campaign manager) Kyle (Bailey) was on the road, they incorrectly assumed that there was enough cash to cover the debit entries,” Willis said. “And there wasn’t.”

Puckett said he accepts full responsibility for the problem, but that he didn’t know about the bank fees until his staff called him Monday afternoon.

An emergency staff meeting was held Monday night to assess the situation, he said.

“It’s DEFCON 5 right now,” Puckett said. “The buck stops at my desk and so I’ll deal with it tonight.”

Puckett said he didn’t look at bank statements, but got financial updates every other day from Willis.

“I try not to get involved in the intricate financial matters,” he said.

Candidates for federal office are required to file campaign finance reports quarterly and around the time of elections with the Federal Election Commission.

The reports show how much money came in and out of a campaign, who donated it, and to whom it was paid.

Puckett’s quarterly report was due July 15, but the campaign missed the deadline, saying there was trouble with its accounting software, called “Aristotle.”

The campaign filed a report on July 21 showing no contributions, and told The Tribune on Aug. 1 that the updated numbers would be sent later that week.

But the software failed again, Puckett said, and the campaign wasn’t able to get numbers out until Monday.

The updated finance report shows the campaign received $24,450 in contributions from April 17 through June 30, and $25,850 for the entire election cycle.

It also shows the campaign $71,623 in debt, but that number is not accurate, Willis said in a phone interview Monday.

The campaign actually has about $60,000 on hand, he said. The discrepancy is because a $90,000 loan repayment was filed in the wrong category and recorded as an operating expense.

The numbers still put first-term incumbent Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, far ahead in fundraising. For the same reporting period — April 17 through June 30 — Donnelly recorded $248,841 in campaign contributions. His campaign had cash on hand of $993,045 on June 30.

Donnelly’s campaign declined to comment on Puckett’s numbers or the personnel situation.

More Good Stuff

WSBT Weather

icon
Current Temp 55.0
°
More Weather

On Demand

More On Demand

Stock Quotes

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Tonight On WSBTFull Schedule

7.00
Paid Programming
7.30
Jeopardy
8.00
The Mentalist
9.00
48 Hours Mystery
10.00
48 Hours Mystery
11.00
WSBT News
11.35
CSI: NY
12.35
CSI: NY
1.35
CSI: Miami

Question of The Day

Will the new health recommendations for women change your health screening habits?

E-mail your comments. We'll pick some to read during WSBT News at 5.

  • YES
  • NO
Today's Mortgage Rates