ASK ELi: Who Funded Nathan Triplett's Campaign?

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Friday, June 19, 2015, 12:55 am
By: 
Alice Dreger

Image: Courtesy City of East Lansing

The question this week: Who funded Nathan Triplett’s campaign?

Some background: Two weeks ago, we answered a reader’s inquiry about who funded Susan Woods’ campaign for Council. In response, readers asked us to also examine and report who funded the other current Councilmembers’ campaigns. I asked our Managing Editor Ann Nichols to roll a die to determine which campaign I’d review next. Last week we reviewed Ruth Beier’s campaign donors. This week we look at Nathan Triplett’s.

Triplett was first elected to City Council in November of 2007. He was re-elected in November of 2011, and elected by Council to be Mayor in November of 2013. He is running for reelection in November (read our report). We look here only at the campaign documents from the cycle of his most recent completed campaign in order to have a parallel comparison to what we did with Woods and Beier.

How I investigated the answer: I went to the Ingham County Clerk elections website and clicked on “campaign finance report search” and then searched under Triplett’s name. Doing so gave me all the correspondence about his campaign. (You can do this with any candidate.) I focused on the campaign reports marked “received” February 1, 2009, October 28, 2011, and December 8, 2011, because those are the ones that listed his donors from his last completed campaign cycle.

What the campaign finance reports show: From the time Triplett began accepting campaign contributions for his last campaign cycle, in December of 2008 through his re-election in November of 2011, his campaign collected $12,060 in contributions. (I find no donations after the election.) The donations are shown below in table form. Here is what they show:

About 30% of Triplett’s donations came from East Lansing residents with no apparent business with the City, totaling $3,655. These came from 57 of the 148 individuals or entities that donated to Triplett’s campaign in this cycle.

Triplett’s campaign shows strong support from Democrats and Democrat-associated causes. His campaign received $2,575 from political funding sources (e.g., other people’s campaigns or PACs), bringing those donations from 16 entities to about 17% of his campaign total. These included $1,000 from a union political fund, $100 from a union PAC, and $700 from two LGBT PACs. In addition to that $2,575, Triplett also accepted three donations from Kevin McKinney, a lobbyist, totaling $300.

As far as donations from people with known business dealings with the City, Triplett accepted $220 from Jim Little, owner of H&H Mobil, which is the company the City calls most for towing of cars with violations. From Joe McGuire, President of Wolverine Development (a developer and commercial real estate company with projects in East Lansing), Triplett accepted $200. Triplett also accepted $200 from Kevin McGraw, principle in the development company River Caddis (of Trowbridge Plaza and the project at the site of the old Blue Cross building at Coolidge and Lake Lansing Road). From David Krause, a local developer (e.g., “The Residences”), Triplett accepted $200. These all amount to $820 or 6.8% of his campaign total.

Triplett’s campaign also accepted a $500 “gift in kind” from Paul Vlahakis, who owns a local commercial real estate company/developer, because Vlahakis is an owner of Dublin Square and the restaurant gave Triplett space and food worth $500 in March, 2011 for a fundraiser. In addition, the General Manager of Dublin Square gave another $500 “gift in kind” of the same type to Triplett’s campaign in October, 2011 for another fundraiser.

Donor information : The campaign reports marked “received” February 1, 2009, October 28, 2011, and December 8, 2011 show the following:

 

Person

Info

Date

Amount

Craig S. Covey

Ferndale, MI

12/8/08

80

IBEW - COPE

Union political fund

2/9/08

1,000

Jim Little

Owner of H&H Mobil (company city calls for towing)

3/9/11 and 3/29/11

220

Karen Merrill

Lansing, MI

3/9/11

50

William Rittenberg

Touraine, East Lansing

3/9/11

25

Diane Springer

Farmington Hills, MI

3/10/11 and 10/8/11

150

Erick Williams

Old Hickory Lane, East Lansing; administrative law judge for Michigan

3/1/11 and 3/29/11 and 10/12/11

290

Sandra Draggoo

Haslett, MI

3/10/11 and 9/29/11

100

Winifred Motherwell

Haslett, MI

3/10/11 and 8/23/11 and 10/3/11

100

Sally Silver

Bailey Street, East Lansing

3/11/11

20

Jackson Kaguri

Okemos, MI

3/12/11

200

Jane Triplett

Peoria, AZ

3/12/11

50

Kathy Carney

Brighton, MI

3/12/11

50

Susan Schmidt

Colorado Drive, East Lansing

3/12/11

25

Debra Nolan

Okemos, MI

3/13/11

50

Mary Valentine

Muskegon, MI

3/13/11

25

Tim Higgins

Birmingham, MI

3/13/11

100

Dorothy Brooks

Marble Road, East Lansing

3/14/11 and 10/29/11

75

Frank DeRose

King Court, East Lansing

3/14/11

20

Kevin Beard

Rolling Brook Lane, East Lansing

3/14/11 and 10/12/11

250

Thomas Hacker

Lansing, MI

3/14/11

50

Joe Tuchinsky

Clarendon Road, East Lansing

3/15/11

25

Dawn Williams

Pine Hollow Drive, East Lansing

3/16/11

25

Nancy English

Lansing, MI

3/17/11

50

Phil Mitchell

Highland Avenue, East Lansing

3/17/11

25

Whitmer Leadership Fund

Political fund of Gretchen Whitmer

3/17/11

50

Martin Griffin for State Representative

Political fund

3/18/11 and 10/18/11

50

Gary Murphy

Birmingham, MI

3/19/11

50

Roger Stuart

PO Box in East Lansing

3/19/11

50

Victor Celentino

Lansing, MI

10/15/11

50

Celentino for Commissioner

Political fund

3/20/11

25

Erich Ditschman

Wildwood Drive, East Lansing

3/20/11 and 3/29/11

100

Jeff Davison

Bingham Farms, MI

3/20/11

100

Marsha Parrott-Boyle

Southlawn Avenue, East Lansing

3/20/11

25

Nate Engle

Reed City, MI

3/21/11

25

Jean Golden

Rosewood Avenue, East Lansing

3/22/11

100

Kevin McKinney

Lobbyist, McKinney & Associates

3/22/11 and 9/8/11 and 10/13/11

300

Nell Kuhnmuench

Applegate Lane, East Lansing

3/22/11 and 10/9/11

75

Patrick Gillespie

Thorngate, East Lansing

3/22/11

50

Kristin Beals Bellar

Oakwood Drive, East Lansing

3/23/11 and 6/25/11

100

Tim Phelps

Dearborn, MI

3/23/11

50

Bob Page

Okemos, MI

3/24/11

25

Friends of Rebecca Bahar-Cook

Political fund

3/24/11

100

Lori Miller

Birmingham, MI

3/24/11

25

Phil Thompson

Lansing, MI

3/24/11

100

SEIU Local 517 PAC

Union PAC

3/24/11

100

Joe McGuire

President Wolverine Development; developer and commercial real estate

3/25/11 and 9/29/11

200

Mark Meadows

Lexington Avenue, East Lansing

3/25/11

100

John Revitte

Wick Court, East Lansing

3/26/11 and 9/30/11 and 10/12/11

45

Pat Munschaw

Golden Circle, East Lansing

3/26/11

25

John Saltzgaber

York Way, East Lansing

3/28/11

50

Patrick O’Neil

Birmingham, MI

3/28/11

200

Amanda Stitt

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

50

Ann Francis

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

25

Barbara Thibeault

Beech Street, East Lansing

3/29/11

25

Bob Higgins

Portage, MI

3/29/11

50

Bob Swanson

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

50

Citizens to Elect Brian McGrain

Political fund

3/29/11

50

Curtis Hertel Jr. for Register of Deeds

Political fund

3/29/11

100

Dorsey Gude

Farwood Drive, East Lansing

3/29/11

25

Elizabeth McGaughey

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

50

Ellen Rodman

Chesaning, MI

3/29/11

25

Eric Schertzing

Kedzie Street, East Lansing

3/29/11

50

Erin Schor

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

50

Friends of Carol Koenig

Political fund

3/29/11

50

G.N. Ackerman

Holt, MI

3/29/11

25

Greg Crockett

Okemos, MI

33/29/11

25

Jack Schmitt

Evergreen Avenue, East Lansing

3/29/11

50

Jeff Hicks

Okemos, MI

3/29/11

50

Joe O’Connell

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

25

John Cahill

Virginia Avenue, East Lansing

3/29/11

50

Josh Clayton

Northgate Drive, East Lansing

3/29/11

100

Joy Thrun

Okemos, MI

3/29/11

50

Kerry Ebersole

Ferndale, MI

3/29/11 and 10/12/11

100

Laurie Bechhofer

Bath, MI

3/29/11

50

Linda White

Sunset Lane, East Lansing

3/29/11

25

Lynn Johndahl

Okemos, MI

3/29/11

100

Margaret Thomas

Orchard Street, East Lansing

3/29/11

25

Mark Grebner

Lilac, East Lansing

3/29/11

25

Mary Pollock

Prescott Drive, East Lansing

3/29/11

35

Matt Phelan

Timberlane, East Lansing

3/29/11

25

Milton Scales

Haslett, MI

3/29/11 and 10/12/11

50

Paul Pratt

Lansing, MI

3/29/11 and 10/12/11

150

Peggy Dunn

Ridgewood Drive, East Lansing

3/29/11

50

Rory Neuner

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

25

Sally Burroughs

Forest Street, East Lansing

3/29/11

25

Sam Singh

Ann Street, East Lansing

3/29/11 and 10/12/11

300

Sara Metz

Barnes Avenue, East Lansing

3/29/11

50

Thomas Morgan

Abbot Road, East Lansing

3/29/11

50

Walt Song

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

25

Whitney Mich

Bay City, MI

3/29/11 and 9/26/11

50

William Beachler

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

25

William Sawyer

Virginia Avenue, East Lansing

3/29/11 and 10/12/11

75

Jody Weissler DeFoe

Lansing, MI

3/29/11

25

Noah Smith

Lansing, MI

3/31/11

50

Roger Triplett

Birmingham, MI

3/21/11

500

Kevin McGraw

Developer (River Caddis)

4/6/11 and 11/3/11

200

Tom Boyd

Okemos, MI

4/17/11 and 10/12/11

75

Barb Byrum

Onondaga, MI

4/20/11

150

Barb Byrum for State Representative

Political fund

4/20/11

100

Lisa Schweitzer

Tanager Lane, East Lansing

4/22/11

50

Fred Bauries

Old Hickory, East Lansing

4/25/11

100

Alex Fike

Royal Oak, MI

5/11/11

20

Josh Smith

Lilac Avenue, East Lansing

5/14/11

100

Bill Camp

San Francisco, CA

5/15/11

100

Ryan Seabolt

Lansing, MI

6/2/11

25

Karla Kube

River Terrace, East Lansing

7/21/11

50

Brian McGrain

Lansing, MI

7/25/11

50

Kit Calson

Southlawn Avenue, East Lansing

6/16/11

50

Jon Hoadley

Kalamazoo, MI

8/30/11

100

Konrad Hittner

Kedzie Street, East Lansing

8/30/11

25

Dave Noble

Washington, DC

9/6/11

250

LAHR PAC

LGBT PAC

9/16/11

200

Karissa Chabot-Purchase

Lansing, MI

9/28/11

25

Linda Pivarnik

Huntington Road, East Lansing

9/29/11

50

Phil Shepard

Bainbridge Drive, East Lansing

10/1/11

20

Kelly Rossman-McKinney

Lansing, MI

10/2/11

50

Richard Stillwell

Okemos, MI

10/6/11

25

Doug Pratt

Haslett, MI

10/6/11

100

Judy Martin

Okemos, MI

10/8/11

50

Phil Reid

Clarkston, MI

10/8/11

25

Bob Hubbard

 Kenberry Drive, East Lansing

10/12/11

100

Chris Swope

Lansing, MI

10/12/11

50

Craig Ruff

Okemos, MI

10/12/11

50

David Krause

Developer

10/12/11

200

Dennis Denno for Trustee

Lansing, MI

10/12/11

50

Diane Wing

Huntington Road, East Lansing

10/12/11

25

Irene Cahill

Virginia Avenue, East Lansing

10/12/11

50

Jermaine Ruffin

Hagadorn, East Lansing

10/12/11

25

Letisia Ruffin

Hagadorn, East Lansing

10/12/11

50

Jessica Gillard

Wharton Street, East Lansing

10/12/11

100

Kaiti Aprill

Lansing, MI

10/12/11

20

Lynsey Clayton

Northgate Drive, East Lansing

10/12/11

50

Marvin Dunn

Ridgewood Drive, East Lansing

10/12/11

30

Melissa Weipert

Marshall Street, East Lansing

10/12/11

25

Mitchell Rivard

Lansing, MI

10/12/11

50

Rebecca Bahar-Cook

Lansing, MI

10/12/11

100

Sarah Curmi

Ypsilanti, MI

10/12/11

25

Steve Japinga

Farwood Drive

10/12/11

50

Doug Jester

MAC Avenue, East Lansing

10/17/11

250

Mike Frederick

Lansing, MI

10/17/11

50

Equality Michigan Pride PAC

LGBT PAC

10/19/11

500

Ryan Fewins-Bliss

Bath, MI

10/21/11

25

Robert Swanson

Lansing, MI

10/21/11

25

Omero Jung

Pebblebrook Lane, East Lansing

10/21/11

50

Jim Bonfiglio

Okemos, MI

10/29/11

50

Brian Bates

Grand Blanc, MI

11/3/11

25

Dana Gill

Eastpointe, MI

11/3/11

100

 

 

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