SWAT quickly corrects campaign-finance violations

Members of what's known as the SWAT team — Burke County Board of Education candidates Susan Stroup, Sam Wilkinson, Buddy Armour and Catherine Thomas — violated North Carolina's campaign-finance laws, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections.

Thomas and Stroup said the violations were committed unknowingly and unintentionally and are being corrected promptly.

The State Board of Elections investigated complaints filed Oct. 1 by Burke County Board of Education member and Nebo businessman John Aulgur and on Oct. 16 by Central District school board candidate James O. Stamey of Morganton.

Both alleged that at least 20 large signs and 30 fliers advertising a town hall meeting did not have the proper legend identifying their origin. In addition, both men said a Family Food Mart in Rutherford College was selling T-shirts bought by the four candidates' campaign committees.

"Sales of T-shirts at a place of business is a violation of campaign finance laws due to the inability of stores to keep an accurate account of the purchasers of these items," according to Adam Ragan, a campaign finance compliance specialist at the state board's Raleigh headquarters.

He also determined that the 8-by-4-foot SWAT signs lacked the identifying statement of origin, or legend, required by General Statute 163-278.39.

"From a review of campaign finance reports filed by the candidate committees, it appears that the Thomas for School Board Committee paid for signs," Ragan wrote. "If this is the case, the legend that must be placed on all signs is 'Paid for by the Thomas for School Board Committee, Authorized by candidates Susan Stroup, Sam Wilkinson and Buddy Armour.' In order to prevent further action by the State Board of Elections, this legend statement must be placed on each sign prior to election day."

Thomas — who, like Stroup, is in her first-ever political campaign — said via e-mail they believed the large signs did not need such identification. She said the Campaign Finance Manual states a legend is not required on "barn posters (3 by 5 feet, or similarly sized, used on the sides of buildings, on walls, etc., generally at no cost)."

Thomas explained the signs were similar in size to barn posters, on private property and erected at no cost to the property owners. "However, after discussing the matter with Mr. Ragan..., disclaimers will be added to the signs by Tuesday, Nov. 3," she wrote.

Thomas emphasized there was no intent to conceal the signs' origin and noted, "Mr. Ragan was able to discern from his investigation of our campaign finance reports that the red, white and blue signs were paid for by all four committees and that the green signs were paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Sam Wilkinson."

Concerning the T-shirts, Thomas said it's her understanding that the Committee to Re-Elect Sam Wilkinson already provided the required information about the T-shirt sales on its Campaign Finance Report.

However, she said the detailed information on all T-shirt sales made from business locations — "information not required in the Campaign Finance Report because donations under $50 are not publicly reported," Thomas added — has been sent directly to Ragan. T-shirts no longer are being sold at any businesses.

Stamey himself was the object of a Burke County Board of Elections investigation early in this year's election cycle when a couple complained that he did not live at the residence listed on his declaration of candidacy. The board determined his information was accurate.

Aulgur never ran in a public election campaign for his seat. The school board appointed him to fill the seat vacated when David Barnard resigned — the same one for which Stroup now is running. Until earlier this year, Aulgur was chairman of the Burke County Republican Party.