Daily Interesting Campaign Finance Item

I’m going to try a new sometime-feature on interesting things in campaign finance reports (assuming I find enough things to comment on).

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From page 2 of the October 2007 campaign finance report of the Indiana Democratic State Central Committee:

Name: Nels Ackerson
Address: 9915 S. Glen Rd., Potomac, Maryland 20854-4129
Contribution: $200.00
Occupation: None listed (nor requested)
Date: 5/8/2007

Isn’t that interesting?

Of course, there’s nothing unique about a placeholder Democrat candidate for Congress in Indiana making a contribution to the Indiana Democratic Party.

What is interesting is that this same candidate lists his address as being a residence (and if you look here on Google Maps, it is a residential address) in a cushy suburb in Maryland just north of Washington, DC.

Many of the houses in the surrounding neighborhood have swimming pools and even tennis courts.

Can you say Washington insider?

Sure, I knew you could.

Can you say carpetbagger?

Sure, I knew you could.

And let me pose one last additional thought:

What do Federal and state campaign finance law say about the addresses you provide on campaign finance documents?

Does it have to be your legal place of residence?

Because if it does, there are either potential problems with Ackerson’s residency in the 4th District or problems with the residence he declared when he donated to the Indiana Democratic Party.

At the very least, he sure looks like a Washington insider and a carpetbagger.

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If you know of something interesting from a campaign finance report in your area, take a minute and shoot me an email.