PawSox Owners Have Given Hundreds of Thousands in Political Contributions
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
The new ownership group of the Pawtucket Red Sox has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions to candidates and elected officials in Rhode Island -- and its lobbying and communications team have donated over six figures combined on top of that.
Owners James Skeffington, Tom Ryan, Terry Murray, William Egan (who comprise less than half of the new ownership group) along with their spouses have given over $130,000 in campaign donations since 2002, and lobbyist Bob Goldberg and communications consultant Patti Doyle have given over $100,000 combined during the same time frame.
Other owners in the group including Habib Gorgi, Bernard Cammarata, Arthur Nichols, and Frank Resnek have no records of contribution on the Rhode Island Board of Elections site; Red Sox president Larry Lucchino gave one donation -- $1000 -- to Jeremy Kapstein's bid for Rhode Island Lt. Governor in 2010.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"Pay to play is hard to pin down. Most campaign donors and recipients are careful never to agree on a quid pro quo of any kind. My first assignment at Common Cause Rhode Island was to write an ethics complaint against then-Gov. Edward D. DiPrete. Among other things, he steered a contract for a fresh-water quality study to a sewer contractor who had contributed over $20,500 to his campaign. We barely scratched the surface," said former Common Cause Director and historian H. Philip West, Jr.
"We later learned that the standard price of entry was $10,000 for a $200,000 contract. In 1998, the former governor pled guilty to eighteen felonies," said West. "He acknowledged 'mistakes of judgment' in connection with his campaign war chest: 'The pressures of raising money for campaign spending obviously clouded my perspective.”
Numbers Include Thousands to Raimondo
Last week the new PawSox ownership group presented a proposal for an $85 million stadium in Providence -- and a lease agreement that would result in up to $120 million in tax breaks for the owners over the thirty year period.
The Rhode Island Board of Elections's website lists the donation histories of the group, whose combined net worth is in the billions.
Listing a home address on the Newport waterfront, William Egan, the founder and general partner of Boston-based Alta Communications and Marion Partners, has given over $8,500 to just a handful of candidates since 2002 -- including $3,000 to Governor Gina Raimondo and $1,000 to the Rhode Island State Democratic Committee. Wife Jacalyn gave $6,000 to candidates during the same time frame, including $2,000 to Raimondo and $1,000 to the State Democratic Committee under her name.
Former CVS CEO Tom Ryan primarily gave during his days at the Woonsocket-based company's helm (prior to retiring in 2012 with a $58 million pension) when he listed a home address in Narragansett, covering both sides of the aisle with contributions ranging to Democrats David Cicilline and Steven Alves to Republicans Kernan King and Don Carcieri totaling over $16,000 -- and records show Ryan has given Raimondo $2500 since 2012. Ryan's wife Cathy has given nearly $7000 since 2002, including $3000 to Raimondo.
The face of the new PawSox ownership, Rhode Island lawyer James Skeffington has given over $66,000 to Rhode Island statewide candidates and campaigns since 2002, including $5000 to Raimondo since 2010, and thousands to the Rhode Island House and Senate Leadership PACs, as well as the Providence Chamber PAC. Wife Barbara is listed as having given $2,000 to former Governor Don Carcieri.
Former Fleet bank chief executive Terry Murray is listed as having given over $9500 over the years, including $3,000 to Raimondo (as Terrence spelled with an 'e.' A separate entry in the Board of Elections has contributions at the same address under Terrance with an "a" listing $8,500 to other candidates and officials). Murray's wife Suzanne is down as having given over $12,000 in political contributions, including $3,000 to Raimondo.
Lobbyist Bob Goldberg, whose hourly billing rate is $375 an hour for the PawSox group, is recorded as having given over $75,000 in campaign contributions since 2002; records show communications consultant Patti Doyle has doled out over $30,000.
Common Cause on the Record
"Campaign contributions are a cost of doing business for professional lobbyists," said West. "The dates of legislative fundraisers rise and fall along a bell curve that peaks between March and June, precisely when most bills pass or die. When I served at Common Cause, my mail typically brought two or three invitations each week — fundraising requests apparently sent to all registered lobbyists."
"Commercial lobbyists are typically well-compensated attorneys who lobby on contract for corporations, trade associations, or unions," continued West. "Former Senate Minority Leader Robert D. Goldberg reports making $10,000 a month from GTECH, $8,333 from CVS, and $4,000 from Johnson & Wales, among others. Former Speaker William J. Murphy reports $80,000 annual compensation from Anheuser-Busch, $50,000 annual from Advance America Cash Advance, and $10,000 a month from UTGR, the corporation that runs Twin River Casino, among others. A relatively small group of commercial lobbyists typically earn six figures during the legislative session, and attend lots of fundraising events."
"By contrast, there are hundreds of nonprofit lobbyists, like the ACLU’s Steve Brown, Common Cause’s John Marion, and the Economic Progress Institute’s Kate Brewster, who work for a fraction as much and can’t afford to go to fundraisers. Many citizens’ advocacy groups are nonpartisan and nonprofit. Their policies prohibit staff members from contributing to candidates," said West. "I think California's Speaker Jesse Unruh put it best back in 1966—long before Citizens United v. FEC and several other U.S. Supreme Court decisions decimated campaign finance limits—when he said, 'Money is the mother’s milk of politics."
West said he believed the question of a new stadium being built in Providence shouldn't lie with the General Assembly.
"The stadium could be--and should be--presented to the voters as a ballot question. At every election, voters decide key questions about state debt. In 2010, they approved bond questions for higher education facilities, transportation, and open space. In 2012, the people backed bonds for clean water, environmental management, capital improvements, and the Veterans’ Home," said West. "Why risk another 38 Studios debacle? Let the General Assembly calculate the costs and lay them out. Then let the voters decide—up or down—on a ballot question."
Related Slideshow: Leaders React to PawSox Owners’ Providence Stadium Proposal
The new owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox presented their vision for a new $85 million stadium in Providence -- including a lease agreement from the state that would require the owners be paid $4 million a year for the thirty year duration.
Now, elected officials and business leaders are weighing in on the initial proposal by the ownership group -- see below.
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