2018 Election: Financial Disclosures Show Wide Disparity In Congressional Candidates’ War Chests

Campaign financial reports filed by the two candidates for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District show the incumbent with a major financial advantage over her challenger.

The latest quarterly financial reports submitted by the two major candidates for the 12th Congressional District show the incumbent with a tremendous economic advantage over her challenger.

As of Sept. 30, incumbent U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D) had $293,537.36 cash on hand. Her Republican challenger, Franklin attorney Daryl Kipnis, reported $1,548.57 in cash.

Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives are among those federal candidates who must file quarterly financial disclosure reports through the end of September. The next reports are due Oct. 25, with a reporting cutoff date of Oct. 17.

Following that, reports are due Dec. 6 and Jan. 31, 2019.

According to the report, which covers the period Nov. 9, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2018, the Kipnis campaign did not begin receiving significant donations until July.

The Kipnis campaign raised a total of $21,258.35, comprised of $14,983.35 in itemized donations, $5,875 in unitemized donations, $100 from other authorized political committees and $300 in transfers from other authorized political committees.

The campaign had $2,483 in unitemized contributions on hand prior to July 1, according to the report. Federal candidates are not required to file financial reports until they have raised or spent $5,000.

The largest contributor to the Kipnis campaign was a fellow attorney, Evan Pickus of Morganville, who contributed $1,500.

Peter Ashekian of Bedminster contributed $1,450, and Stephen Manobianco of Princeton contributed $1,000.

The campaign reported $19,206.58 in disbursements, the largest expenditure being $8,280 to the Trump National Golf Club, where Kipnis held a fundraiser in early August.

The campaign’s next largest expenditure was to Kipnis’ wife, Rochelle Kipnis, who was paid $4,950 for “campaign manager fees” in two installments: $3,000 on Aug. 1o and $1,950 on Sept. 10.

The Watson campaign’s report covered the quarter, July 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2018, during which her campaign raised $116,094.12, for a total of $810,669.23 for this election cycle.

The campaign reported refunds in the current reporting period of $4,525.24, bringing its net contributions to $111,568.88.

The campaign reported $116,933.97 in disbursements for the quarter.

The three largest individual contributors to the Coleman campaign this quarter were Victor Scudiery of Hazlet, Sharon Worosilo of Weehawken and Alexander Soros of New York City, each of whom contributed $2,700.

Scudiery is the former chairman of the Monmouth County Democrats, and Soros is the son of George Soros, a philanthropist known for his financial support of liberal causes and candidates.

The Coleman campaign’s largest expenditures during the latest reporting period were $15,000 to consultant Anne Sciano Consulting of Jersey City; $12,000 to consultant Eckert and Associates of Washington, D.C., and $7,500 to New Blue Interactive of Washington, D.C.

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