Bruce Blakeman's campaign finance reports clash with bank records
Bank statements show Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman's campaign had far more cash and unreported transactions than his disclosure filings indicate.
Investigators comparing the Blakeman campaign’s bank records with its public finance disclosures found a stark mismatch: the campaign’s checking account held $1.7 million on Sept. 28, while the filing listed only $178,000. The statements also list a $13,500 check (number 1156) and $18,000 wires from actress Lois Robbins and finance chair Howard Fensterman that never appear in the reports. Earlier filings showed wildly shifting balances, from $4.7 million to $6.1 million and then $4.3 million within weeks.
Blakeman, the first gubernatorial hopeful to qualify for the state’s $3.5 million matching-funds program, will be audited by the Board of Elections after the election. His campaign has not responded to requests for comment, saying the discrepancies stem from technical issues caused by a high volume of donors.
Why it matters
The gaps raise questions about the accuracy of campaign finance reporting in a high-profile gubernatorial race.
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