DeWeese’s war chest outpaces opponent’s
State Rep. H. William DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, has amassed a huge campaign fund compared to the Democratic challenger in his re-election bid, Fayette County Treasurer Robert F. “Bobby” Danko. In the latest campaign finance reports, which were due in last Friday to the Department of State, DeWeese carried over $204,465 from the previous reporting period and added $48,760 since then. His latest report includes receipts and expenditures through Feb. 27.
Danko had a total of $4,650 and $4,000 of that amount came from himself. His latest report includes receipts and expenditures through May 1.
Both men are vying for the Democratic Party nomination for the 50th Legislative District seat in the House of Representatives in Tuesday’s primary election.
Two Republican candidates, Greg Hopkins and Richard Yeager, will also face off in the primary.
The winners in the primary races will run against each other in the November general election.
DeWeese had a total of $253,225, spent $49,105 and had a $204,119 balance.
Danko of Masontown had $4,650, spent $3,524 and had $1,125 left.
While DeWeese listed no unpaid debts or obligations, Danko listed the $4,000 he contributed to his campaign as an unpaid debt.
The largest single contribution to DeWeese’s campaign was $15,000 from the Laborers District Council political action committee (PAC) in Philadelphia. Most of his contributions came from outside the 50th District, which encompasses all of Greene County and parts of Fayette and Washington counties.
His other PAC contributions over $250 were $5,000 from GSP Consulting Corp. in Pittsburgh, $5,000 from LawPAC in Harrisburg, $2,500 from RJR Nabisco in Exton, $500 from Amgen PAC in Thousand Oaks, Calif. and $300 from the Committee to Elect Stephen Stetler Representative in York. DeWeese also received $100 donation from the People for Keeping Fred Belardi their Representative in Waverly.
Donations from PACs to DeWeese totaled $28,400.
Other contributions of more than $250 included $1,000 from Al R. Boscov of Reading, the president and CEO of Boscov’s Department Store; $900 from attorney James E. Beasley of West Chester, $885 from the law firm Feldman, Shepherd Wohlgelernter and Tanner of Philadelphia, $500 from Frank J. Behm, of Jefferson, of Behm Funeral Homes Inc.; $500 from Nadeem A. Bezar of Ardmore, an attorney for Kolsby Gordon Robin Shore; $400 from 1634 Associates of Philadelphia, $400 from attorney Stewart L. Cohen of Philadelphia, $375 from Thomas J. Duffy, of Haddonfield, N.J., an attorney with the Duffy and Keenan law firm; $275 from attorney Len V. Fodera of Philadelphia and $255 from Laura A. Feldman of Philadelphia, an attorney with the Feldman and Pinto law firm. These donations totaled $5,490.
There were 36 contributions between $50 and $250 that totaled $4,993. They included $250 from Lundy Law LLP of Philadelphia, $250 from Neil T. O’Donnell of Wilkes-Barre, $250 from North Central Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers of Wilkes-Barre, two $120 donations from Mark Lewinter of Gladwyne, $230 from Michael F. Barrett of Gladwyne, $200 from Paul E. Ricci of Harrisburg, $175 from Edwin Dashevsky of Rydal, $165 from Robert L. Sachs of Glenside and $165 from Andrew G. Gary of Philadelphia.
Contributions of $150 came from Martin K. Brigham of Philadelphia, Roy A. DeCaro of Philadelphia, Charles Hehmeyer, Arthur G. Raynes of Wynnewood, Stephen Raynes of Villanova and Rhonda Hill Wilson of Rosemont. Stewart J. Eisenberg of Philadelphia donated $143.
Donations of $120 came from Thomas R. Anapol of Bryn Mawr, Larry R. Cohan of Gladwyne, Joel D. Feldman of Springfield, Kevin R. Marciano of Newton Square, Alan Schwartz of Philadelphia and Sol H. Weiss of Bryn Mawr. Larry Bendesky of Wynnewood donated $110.
Contributors who gave $100 were Rich Seidel of Philadelphia, Murray and Sheridan of Philadelphia, Richard C. Sidella of Shippensburg, Donald M. Soloff of Gladwyne, Dominick A. Angelone of Isabella, Jonathan M. Cohen of Wynnewood, William P. Fedullo of Philadelphia, Randall C. Flager of Trevose, Greene County District Attorney Marjorie J. Fox of Waynesburg and Gretchen Graham of Waynesburg.
Contributions of $65 came from Stephen C. Josel of Philadelphia, Ronald A. Kovler of Cherry Hill, N.J. and Ronald I. Rosen of Philadelphia.
DeWeese also listed 130 expenditures totaling $2,257 in January and February. They included rent, phone, utilities and Internet service at his campaign headquarters, plane tickets, travel expenses, payroll, campaign dinners, hall rentals, donations to local organizations and other political campaigns and newspaper advertisements.
Danko reported no contributions from PACs and he did not carry over any money from the previous reporting period.
To his campaign, he contributed $2,000 in February and $2,000 in April.
He received $200 from Frank Burnette of Pittsburgh, $200 from Ray Dunaway of Lemont Furnace, $100 from John S. Maykuth of Masontown, $100 from Joseph Tassone of Uniontown and a $50 donation.
Danko’s expenditures were for campaign shirts, buttons, bumper stickers, signs, advertising, postage, a filing fee and a website.