The Facts on ALGOP Spending

This is a very open blog so I allow free dialogue and I welcome criticism. That’s why the Yellowhammer comment section frequently contains both positive and negative comments directed at me personally and toward this blog’s content. That will continue. However, I won’t allow personal attacks on Chairman Armistead, the Governor or anyone else. Feel free to talk positively or negatively about their job performance or the decisions they’ve made, but I’m shutting down the character attacks and personal innuendo directed at other individuals.

My belief that the Alabama Republican Party needs new leadership is not personal. I’ve always said that I think Chairman Armistead is a good man and I appreciate his service. However, I believe there are significant issues with the Party’s finances and operations. Chairman Armistead and I have had very cordial private phone conversations in the past where I expressed these concerns and he was kind enough to share his opinion as well.

In an effort to continue making this all about the facts, I will list below some information from the ALGOP’s public campaign finance disclosures which were submitted to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in compliance with campaign finance law. For context, I will compare the numbers in these disclosures to the same State Party filings from other election years. I feel this is the best way to remove any personal angles involved, and let people make their own decisions on how the Party is being run based on hard facts.

The expenses below are not considered to be day-to-day operations. The 2012 numbers are also not for the full year, the most current filings only show Party expenditures for Jan. 1 – Oct. 17. I’m working now on compiling 2010 numbers as well. But we’ll start with a comparison between 2008 and 2012 because they are both Presidential election years that required similar types of expenditures.

State Party Chairman reimbursements from election years:
2008 Party Chairman received total reimbursements of $4,836.56
2012 Party Chairman has so far received total reimbursements of $16,759.74 between Jan. 1 – Oct. 17.

Staff reimbursements from election years:
Chairman Armistead created a new position at the State Party when he hired a Chief of Staff. Since that position didn’t exist prior to his tenure, I am comparing the Chief of Staff’s expenses to the closest staff equivalent from past years which would be Executive Director.

2008 Executive Director received total reimbursements of $3,871.87
2012 Chief of Staff has received total reimbursements of $40,341.32 ($16,672.76 in mileage) from Jan. 1 – Oct. 17

ALGOP Hotel costs from election years:
2008 Hotel costs: $15,542.13
2012 Hotel Costs from Jan. 1 – Oct. 17: $50,800.85 (including stays at luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton in New York City, Hyatt Regency, Capitol Hill Suites & the Fairmont-Scottsdale)

ALGOP Airline expenses from election years:
2008 ALGOP Airline Expenses: $8,196.25
2012 ALGOP Airline Expenses from Jan. 1 – Oct. 17: $7,970.51