Discrepancies blaring in Kyrillos’s ELEC reports

Published in the August 18, 2005 issue of The Courier.

Discrepancies blaring in Kyrillos’s ELEC reports

By JACKIE CORLEY

Are missing dates in state Sen. Joe Kyrillos’s primary 2001 election reports a deliberate omission or a clerical mistake?

Four of Kyrillos’s 2001 election forms, three of which were typed and one of which was handwritten, are missing the last digit of the year of contributions made for that election cycle.

The four election reports in question are: Kyrillos’s July 15, 2000 quarterly report, received by the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) on July 25, 2000; the October 15, 2000 quarterly report, received by ELEC on October 27, 2000; the 29-day pre-election report for Kyrillos’s June 19, 2001 primary, received by ELEC on June 1, 2001; and the 20-day post-election report, received by ELEC on July 17, 2001.

A search on ELEC’s website lists the years of the more than 300 contributions in question. This is done under the years the reports for the contributions were issued.
However, the election reports themselves fail to include the last digit of the year of the over 300 contributions, seven of which were handwritten without the final digit into the 20-day post-election report.

For example, Ronald Gravino made a $2,200 contribution to Kyrillos’s primary campaign. The date of the contribution is hand written as “7/03/200” and included in the 20-day post report.

Notably, Gravino lists his address as PO Box 225, Colonia, NJ 07067, the same address used by gubernatorial candidate Douglas Forrester and the “Forrester For Governor” campaign in contributions made to Monmouth County Republicans during 2004 and 2005. Gravino is the treasurer for Forrester’s campaign for governor, according to the candidate’s official website.

The omission of the final digit of the year is repeated throughout in over 50 pages of documents.

Also curious is the election date listed in Kyrillos’s 11-day post-election report and his 20-day post-election report. While ELEC documents show the two reports were received by the commission on June 15, 2001 and July 17, 2001, respectively, for the June 19, 2001 primary election, both handwritten documents list the election date as “6/19/2000.”

All other reports for the 2001 primary list the election date as June 2001.
Additionally, Kyrillos’s 11-day pre-election report lists contributions made in two different years. The “Schedule A” of every election report filed by a candidate for office lists all monetary contributions over $400.

Kyrillos’s “Schedule A” for the 11-day pre-election report is four pages long. The first page includes five contributions handwritten as having been made on “06/07/01”; the second page includes five contributions handwritten as having been made on “6-7-2000”; the third page includes two contributions handwritten as having been made on “6-7-2000”, with three slots for listing additional contributions left blank; and the final page includes five contributions handwritten as having been made on “06/07/01.”

Kyrillos’s July 15, 2000 quarterly report also appears to have a discrepancy in its “Schedule A” form. Each type-written page of the report includes a subtotal, also typed, adding all monetary contributions over $300.

The second to last subtotal in the “Schedule A” lists the amount of contributions as $139,500. However, on the last page of the “Schedule A,” which includes a $500 contribution, this subtotal is handwritten as $138,200. The $138,200 amount was reported as the total amount of contributions in excess of $300.

Election Law

Currently, election law states that the following information must be reported for each contribution made: “1. The date the contribution was received or, if more than one contribution was received in the reporting period, the dates the aggregate contributions were received; 2. The name and mailing address of the contributor; 3. If the contributor is an individual, the occupation of the individual and the name and mailing address of the individual’s employer…; 4. The amount of the contribution, or amount of aggregate contributions in the reporting period; and 5. The total amount of all contributions received from the contributor in the election to date.”

Election law further stipulates that any candidate or treasurer “who omits or incorrectly states or certifies any of the information required by law to be included in [an ELEC] report…shall, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, be liable to a penalty of not more than $6,000 for the first offense and not more than $12,000 for the second and each subsequent offense.”

Treasurer’s Report

William A. Meyler, Middletown, a certified public accountant listed as the treasurer for the Senator Kyrillos Committee on the ELEC reports cited here, said he is not Kyrillos’s treasurer, though he does help in filing the veteran senator’s reports.

Meyler said he could not comment at this time on the missing years on the 50 pages of reports, as the documentation was completed some four years ago.

Any additions or corrections to the reports must be filed as an amendment with ELEC. There are currently no amendments to the reports in question.

To view the reports, visit http://www.bayshorenews.com.