Jul 2, 2009 3 min read

In the race for common pleas judge in Fayette County, Earnest P. DeHaas III spent more than double what his opponent did. According to campaign finance reports made available by the Department of State, DeHaas spent $137,712, according to reports that go from May 4 to June 8. The bulk of that – $120,758 – went to Profound Multimedia LLC of Uniontown for campaign-related needs. District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon, also running for the seat, spent $66,196 from March 30 to June 8.

More than half of the amount she spent can be accounted for with the money paid out West Media of Ligonier and to the 177 people she hired to work the polls for her on the day of the primary election.

The reports indicate Vernon spent $22,419 with West Media, which handled her campaign. An additional $13,729 went to poll workers, who were paid between $50 and $150 each. Most of the workers, 159, were paid $75 each.

In the May 19 primary, Vernon, a Democrat, secured her party’s nod for judge, and DeHaas, a Republican, secured his party’s nod. They will face off again in the fall.

The race is necessary because President Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 at the end of the year, and must step down.

March 30 was the sixth Tuesday before the primary. Personally and through her campaign committee, Vernon filed finance reports. DeHaas had no reports to file for that period.

The May 4 date is the second Friday before the primary election, and encompasses the period between March 30 and then.

The last of the filings encompass May 4 through June 8.

Both campaigns ended with unpaid debts and obligations. Vernon has $77,225 in unpaid debts. Of that, $39,800 are loans she and her husband, South Union Township Supervisor Rick Vernon, made to the campaign.

The other $37,425 is owed to West Media.

DeHaas ended the reporting period with $94,000, all loans made to his campaign by he and his wife, Kathleen DeHaas.

During the reporting period, Vernon brought in a total of $62,085 – however, $39,800 were from the loans she and her husband made to the campaign.

DeHaas brought in $128,075 in contributions throughout the reporting period. That includes the $94,000 he and his wife loaned to the campaign.

The loans aside, Vernon received $22,285 in contributions and DeHaas $34,075 in contributions.

Both ended with a balance.

DeHaas’ ending balance was $13,735 and Vernon’s was $223.

Among the campaign contributions listed on his reports, DeHaas received 38 donations of between $100 and $250, totalling $6,125. Included in the contributors were former Uniontown city councilman Donald M. Miller, and Uniontown Area School Board member Paul H. Bortz Sr., who each gave DeHaas $200.

He also received 29 contributions of between $300 and $52,000, totaling $119,000. However, the largest of those came in from DeHaas and his wife, who contributed $94,000 to the campaign. Three members of the Cluss family contributed $2,500 to DeHaas’ campaign, with C.C. Cluss donating $1,000, Mary Cluss donating $500 and C.B. Cluss donating $1,000. Former common pleas court judge Fred C. Adams, now an attorney, donated $500.

Among the individual contributions to Vernon’s campaign was $100 from former U.S. Rep. Austin J. Murphy of Farmington. She also received $1,000 donations from Jesse Risha of Uniontown, Krista Shaffer of Uniontown and Thomas Crenney of Sewickley. She received a $1,500 contribution from John Garlow.

Gary Verkleeren, a member of the Fayette County Planning Commission, contributed $150 to Vernon’s campaign, and Perry Township Supervisor Janet Galla, made a $100 contribution.

Richard Faris of Uniontown contributed $200 each to the campaigns of Vernon and DeHaas, with both contributions made on March 4.