The Federal Election Commission website is open, but the shutdown has it grinding along on limited server resources, which maddens those of us hitting Refresh in eager anticipation of third-quarter campaign finance reports from our U.S. Senate candidates (why am I hearing William Shatner in my head?).
If you can access Annette Bosworth's file, you'll see some interesting churn. She has so far filed two statements of organization and one amendment. She originally filed as her own campaign treasurer, then refiled on July 23, listing Rodney E. Fits* as treasurer. That second filing put the campaign office in a UPS box at 2601 S. Minnesota in Sioux Falls, but it listed the treasurer's office as 5000 S. Minnesota Suite 300, the office of KAJ Hospitality, next door to Bosworth's Meaningful Medicine clinic and Preventive Health Strategies non-profit in Suite 100.
Evidently Rod didn't fit the campaign. Toward the end of August, Bosworth decided to offshore her campaign finances... or at least move them closer to the shore. An August 30 filing lists as Bosworth's treasurer and custodian of records Nancy H. Watkins of Tampa, Florida. That filing designates as agent and assistant treasurer Robert I. Watkins, also of Tampa, Florida. Nancy and hubby Robert do business as Robert Watkins and Company at 610 South Boulevard in Tampa.
This switch matters in part because it shows Bosworth apparently doesn't trust any fellow South Dakotans with her books. It also matters because the folks she's hired to handle her money handle a whole lot of other conservative money. The Watkinses are regular SuperPAC impresarios:
Nancy and Robert Watkins together run Robert Watkins and Co., the accounting firm located at 610. Thirty-nine political committees are currently registered under the address with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The committees registered there have conservative leanings and ties exclusively to Republican politicians.
The organizations range from leadership PACs, 501(c)4s and 527s to campaign committee PACs and even a handful of Super PACs — a new and controversial type of PAC that allows groups to raise unlimited funds from corporations, individuals and unions. And these groups tend to bring in big money. In 2010, one of the Super PACs at 610 raised more than $4 million.
Watkins and Co. also has 19 state PAC clients filed with the Florida Division of Elections [Ashley Lopez, "How One Tampa Address Handles Millions in Campaign Cash, Influences Elections Nationwide," Florida Independent, 2011.10.24].
Nancy Watkins' current exploits include creating a fake progressive PAC and crossing over from Michele Bachmann's failed campaign fund to straighten out the Minnesota Congresswoman's ethically challenged Congressional campaign and PAC funds:
“[Nancy Watkins] is a fixer, in terms of coming in and cleaning-up the mess that other people left behind,” said Brett Kappel, a campaign finance lawyer at Arent Fox.
Kappel described Watkins as a “total straight arrow” who has been asked by other troubled GOP campaign committees to “clean up the books.”
Former Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., brought Watkins in to help him fix his reporting lapses. He ended up paying the FEC a hefty $99,000 fine.
Former Arizona GOP Rep. Rick Renzi also hired Watkins to help him deal with FEC violations. He paid a $25,000 fine. Earlier this year, Renzi was found guilty of 17 felonies connected to a land-swap deal, including conspiracy, racketeering and money laundering [Emily Pierce and Eliza Newlin Carney, "Bachmann Hires 'Fixer' for Campaign Money Troubles," Roll Call: Beltway Insiders, 2013.09.12].
Oh my: don't tell me Team Bosworth has already fouled up its campaign financing so badly that it needs Nancy Watkins to fix their funds.
Whatever funds Watkins must straighten out for the Bosworth campaign, a chunk of that money will leave South Dakota. That August 30 filing moved Bosworth's campaign funds from ReliaBank in Tea to Wells Fargo at 1801 S. Minnesota and the Bank of Tampa at 601 Bayshore Road. We can thus expect Bosworth's third-quarter report to show more contributions than any one bank can handle.
Update 10:49 CDT: Bosworth spelled the name with one T, but the treasurer she listed in July was apparently supposed to be Rodney Fitts of Sioux Falls.
When Romney was running for President, a commentator on TV whose name started with Ger??? can't remember the spelling, said that when he was on the board of a company that Bain capital bought out, that they were told that 'Bain is Good'. Some managers are and some just create a name for themselves. The commentator never proved if Bain had been good or not. Just went on word of mouth reputation. If someone's reputation of being a fixer is accurate, fine, if not we find out later.
I believe Rodney Fitts is the owner of the building at 5000 S. Minnesota, as well as the apartment building where the Bosworths live. I wonder if they used his name without his knowledge, as they seem to have with the photo of Chris Travis? Cory, I am sure you are right, they don't trust anyone in South Dakota with their books. This move to Florida fits right in with the move of all their "raffles" to Fire Mission, whatever that is.
I believe Rodney Fitts is the owner of the building at 5000 S. Minnesota, as well as the apartment building where the Bosworths live. I wonder if they used his name without his knowledge, as they seem to have with the photo of Chris Travis?
Aha! Bosworth spelled Fitts's name with just one T on her July FEC filing. That's why I wasn't getting him on the Googles! Let me revise above....
Relevant research well appreciated, Mr. Heidelberger. THX
Not to pass out allegations but maybe Bosworths previous money woes play a part of her decision to hire Watkins. Though, Watkins candidates are being investigated currently. Not to make any allegation here, but an example would be, wife works a job, husband does too, husband has a track record of gambling and wife takes away the opportunity for husband to dip fingers into her income stream so she can support her children. I dont think her husband is a gambler, but he might not be very good at managing money. And when he has been around money in the past people have went to prison. So my point is, Watkins might be more of a preemptive measure then anything else.
Don't be coy, Dale: it sure sounds like you are alleging something, but trying not to own the allegation. Are you saying the same thing I've been saying since July, that Chad Haber could have conceived this Senate campaign as a publicity/money-making scheme, and that the Bosworth-Haber team are not to be trusted with the people's money?
i do find a bunch of things ironic about haber and bosworth... like living in an rv but everyone having iphones... or spending spring in haiti for about 3 months then coming back and jumping right into a senate run. or in past news articles claiming to be of no particular religeon but getting an rv from their church. i could go on... but yes it seems that they cant manage money legally speaking
Dale, I agree that we need to raise questions like that... and we should raise them loudly and clearly, before Bosworth and Haber take anyone else's money under the guise of a Senate campaign.