Corey Stewart has an urgent emailer out once again asking for money. I chose the word ‘ask’ because the Corey supporters took offense the last time I said ”beg.’ We have 48 hours to reply. Here’s what he says:
Dear Friend,As we approach the end of August, my campaign faces a critical deadline that we must meet. For the end of this quarter, we have set fundraising goal of receiving 50 contributions before midnight on August 31st. Will you be one of those 50 by donating $10, $20 or $50 to my campaign?We must keep my opponent’s Liberal agenda at bay and stand strong for conservative fiscal policies of balanced budgets and low taxes. Under my leadership as Chairman, the Board has trimmed spending by more than $140 million, resulting in Prince William County’s AAA bond rating status.
In less than 48 hours our campaign faces a critical fundraising deadline and I am asking you to stand with me by making a contribution today in an effort to move Prince William County forward.All the best,
Corey Stewart
Ahem…let’s get a few things straight. Stewart implies a cause/effect relationship between his trimming of the budget and the county’s AAA bond rating status. That AAA bond rating status was there before the budget was trimmed by more than $140 million.
Secondly, you would think the wolf was at the proverbial door. Checking www.vpap.org, it shows the following for Corey Stewart:
Total Receipts $477,460
Total Disbursements $332,615
Cash on Hand
Stewart for PWC Board Chair-Corey Stewart $209,986
Va Rule of Law PAC $946
That’s a lot of money to blow. He hardly is facing political destitution with $209,986. I would have to know where he had squandered the other money before I wrote a check to his campaign. His democratic opponent, is also sitting on a lot of cash. Why should it cost so much to run for office in Prince William County?
Should a campaign be all about money or should we demand those who want our vote stop the out of state inflow of money and the developer checks being infused into campaigns? Why do I always feel like the voters of PWC have always just been ‘had?’
The countdown is on:
Dear Friend,
We now have less than 12 hours to reach our fundraising goal! We’ve had great support so far with 37 contributions, leaving us 13 short of our monthly goal. Will you be one of those 13 by donating $25, $50, or $100 to my campaign today?
My record is proof of what fiscal conservative leadership can do for a local government. Whether it be implementing the nation’s toughest crackdown on illegal immigration, or working to reduce tax bills to their lowest levels in the past 4 years, I aim to continue moving Prince William County down the path of greatness.
Please join my campaign in this critical time by contributing $50, $100 or $200 to ensure that principled conservative leadership will remain in Prince William County. Together we will make this community one of the greatest in the nation.
Thank you for your continued support,
Corey Stewart
P.S. Please consider being one of 13 contributors to help me reach my fundraising goal by tonight at midnight!
——————————————————————————————————————
I’m rushing right out to write my check–NOT!!! I suppose he wants a big fund so he can take it with him when he decides to quit.
Moon, you pose interesting questions….perfect for the canditates forum conducted by the Prince William Committe of 100 on Oct 26th where the BOCS Chairman canditates will debate.
Corey’s like one of those hobos on a street corner huckstering for money.
@Raymond, that one ought to be a show-stopper.
It looks like Corey’s Va. Rule of Law Pac is on life support. Perhaps he should give that one up and turn his attention to the County 100%.
That fund certainly is looking anemic, I agree, Ivan. I wonder if that is all he ever got? I can’t even accuse him of squandering it if that is all he ever got.
Just out of curiosity, if you subtract expenses from receipts you get a whole lot less than $209K cash left on hand. Is Corey using the “new math” to come up with his numbers? Or is he syphoning off cash from his campaign for “favored” recipients. Is his wife is doing all his event catering at grossly inflated prices? How has he spend over $300K when he didn’t even have a primary challenge?
Hello Raven and welcome. You raise some interesting questions. Nevermore! nevermore!
LOL!!!
Someone should pull the details on how he is spending the money, not just the aggregate amount. That could shine a light on some interesting things. Who is he writing checks to when he has had no visible activities except a few signs for the primary totalling maybe, MAYBE a couple thousand dollars? Hmmm . . . ?
This fundraising isn’t for his PWC Chair race. That one is in the bag. The Democrats dumped their guy who had a chance of winning (Friedman) and went with someone (Lateef) much too far to the left to win in PWC and who comes with lots of baggage (his mortgage scandal). The PWC Democrats are doing everything they can to ensure another term for Corey.
This money is for his next race – either US Senate or Lt. Governor. As soon as the November election is finished Corey will be finished with us. His attention will turn immediately (to the degree it hasn’t already) to his next campaign.
Legally, he can’t take any of this money and use it for personal purposes but he can roll it over into another campaign fund.
A source who clairms to be very familiar with Virginia political finance law tells me it is legal in Virginia for candidates for public office to pay themselves a salary from campaign funds. Also, his wife owns and runs an “event catering” service. So, maybe the money being raised is for the next campaign, not this one, but it would be very interesting to see what Corey has already spent over $300K on in a primary in which he was unopposed.
@Raven
Click on this link to see his itemized expenditures.
http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Campaign_Finance_Disclosure/View_Disclosure_Reports/CF_Reports_Report_Codes.asp?SUWVVal=CandidateView&RepYearVal=2011&tCNVal=&tCCVal=&tCSVal=&tCZVal=&tCOVal=&tCBDVal=&tCEDVal=&tCAFVal=&tCATVal=&tCCSOptVal=EqualTo&OffVal=ALL&PtyVal=ALL&CandVal=1178
@Theseus
Theseus, I don’t believe the Democrats dumped Gary Friedman. Gary told me that he chose to remove himself from the race. You are speculating on something unsubstantiated.
Regardless, I think PWC residents who have written to the chairman regarding county issues and find their names on his campaign list have something to grouse about. I suppose it isn’t illegal but…..ethical? Not so much.
Moon – I agree that Gary left voluntarily. His withdrawal was his decision – I’ve heard him say that also and take him at his word. I just can’t help think that many in the Democratic Committee created an environment to encourage that decision. He had rubbed some the wrong way and was perhaps not adequately “liberal” for others. They chose ideological purity over competitiveness. When they lose in November, I think Corey will owe much of his victory to the bungling of PWC Democrats. They had a way to win the Chair election and made all the wrong moves.
I don’t think there is a liberal test in PWC. At least when I was involved with Democrats there wasn’t. Hell, nowadays the test should be, are they breathing.
Talk about hen’s teeth. Seriously, most active democrats I know are moderate. Now, people who claim they are democrats, that’s another story.
Reviewing Friedman’s press release on his withdrawal from the chairman’s race, his stated purpose was to clear the field for Lateef because of the late primary date, thus giving Lateef the opportunity to focus on the general election rather that a primary battle. Of course, that was before the news came out about Lateef’s mortgage mess. My guess is that if Friedman had known about Lateef’s personal finacial situation he never would have dropped out.
I agree that in PWC Democratic committee leaders, the Jenkins and Roemmelt in particular, are Democrats worst enemies as far as developing and supporting strong candidates goes. Though, in Jenkins case, he seems primarily concerned with keeping anyone else from becoming relevent inside the party.
Corey and Jenkins have become best pals over the past year or so, and are now two peas in a pod on most issues. Is it possible Jenkins tried to sabotage any credible challenge to his new bud?
I have heard that also, Theseus and I am not sure he could if he wanted to.
I’ve heard that Jenkins make a deal with Corey and that deal was confirmed to me by some folks inside the Dem committee. Apparently Jenkins was not shy about admitting to it. The deal was that Corey would be sure one or two certain precincts would be added to Jenkins Neabsco district in the redistricting process in exchange for which Jenkins would make sure Corey had no credible challenger from the Dem side. No way Friedman would have been intimidated by Jenkins but Jenkins could have helped make the PWCDC environment hostile enough to Friedman to make a successful nomination bid less likely.
Blue, Right now that is all rumor. When I was on the Democratic committee some years ago, it was full of gossip. I am going to go on what Gary told me and what he put on the blog regarding his candidacy.
You may very well be correct but right now it is a rumor. My WWGD radar makes say that. You may email me for that code (WWGD) if you are curious.
I am sitting on many unsubstantiated rumors about Corey and a couple on Jenkins. I am not saying don’t gossip, I am just identifying things that aren’t substantiated.
Don’t any PWC Democrats have a functioning set of b****? I’ve heard lots of stories about Corey also, likely some of the same Moon has heard, and many dealing with Corey’s campaign finance backroom deal making. He’s screwing over PWC bigtime. I don’t admire anything Lateef did, but his offense was largely just beating some crooked banks at their own game. Got to say I have a tinge of glee at that. What he did doesn’t take money out of my pocket. Where are the PWC Democrats on any of this? Do they plan to keep quiet and let Corey get away with everything? I know Jenkins has a lot of pull on that committee, but there surely must be some Democrats willing to speak and think for themselves. I know some of the Republicans have criticized Stewart, and for that I thank them.
“Don’t any PWC Democrats have a functioning set of b****? ” Short answer: “NO”.
“but there surely must be some Democrats willing to speak and think for themselves” no and yes. They can think for themselves but are afraid to speak because Earnestine Jenkins would declare them persona non grata forever.
And how about those who laugh at Ernestine and pay her no mind? Its difficult to be a legend in one’s own mind. She only controls those who allow themselves to be controlled.
Good point Old Time. I agree but she does a boatload of damage just the same.