CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN Cafaro error on finances is explained

Cafaro has spent almost $1.5 million of her own money on the campaign.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The treasurer of the Capri Cafaro congressional campaign blames "clerical error" and inadvertent miscalculations for an underestimation of the amount of money the Democratic candidate contributed to her primary victory.
In a letter to the Federal Election Commission sent last week, six months after the March primary, Ronald G. Silvestri, Cafaro's campaign treasurer, wrote that the Democratic candidate for the 14th Congressional District seat used $352,651 of her own money during the primary.
The letter states the campaign committee originally calculated Cafaro's self-funding amount at $311,631 before the primary, and discovered the error after further review and in response to FEC questions. Silvestri wrote that a $41,020 loan Cafaro gave her campaign on March 1 was omitted from a report because of "clerical error," and is corrected in the amended report, filed last week.
Report amended
The amended report, filed last week, shows Cafaro lent $193,020 to the campaign before the March 2 primary. The report also shows $142,091 in monetary advances, and $17,540 in in-kind contributions from Cafaro. Those figures total $352,651.
An FEC spokesman said the agency could take legal action or seek a fine against candidates violating election rules, even if they are later corrected.
Cafaro, of Hunting Valley and formerly of Liberty, is challenging U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, a five-term Republican incumbent from Concord Township, in what is the most expensive U.S. House race in Ohio.
"We've always thought that some of [Cafaro's] bookkeeping was questionable," said Dino DiSanto, LaTourette's campaign spokesman. "They seem to find ways around the spirit of the law. We're glad it's being looked at."
Mike Cook, a Cafaro spokesman, said the campaign is working hard to comply with FEC rules.
Sees a pattern
Chris Paulitz, a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman and Hubbard native, doesn't see it that way. Paulitz said Cafaro's campaign is practicing a pattern of dishonesty and deception. Cook strongly denies the allegations.
The Vindicator reported on July 22 that Cafaro's sister, Renee, of Liberty, contributed $20,385 to her sister's campaign, when she could give only $2,000 per election cycle. Silvestri's letter to the FEC said two other contributions from the sister were omitted from previous reports, and the actual amount was $21,653.
Silvestri wrote that the mistake with the sister's contributions were made by staff members "who either were unaware of the law, or, in some cases, misunderstood the law's requirements." He added that the campaign hired an additional staff member whose only responsibility is to oversee the campaign's finances.
The money has since been repaid to Renee Cafaro, but the NRCC filed a complaint in August with the FEC regarding this issue.
Total spending
With the updated finance figures, Cafaro has spent about $1.47 million of her own money on her campaign. Of that amount, Cafaro gave $1.12 million to her campaign after the primary, including $800,000 last weekend.
Cafaro ranks No. 1 among Democrats running for a U.S. House seat in self-funding and No. 4 among all candidates. As of June 30, LaTourette had $1.1 million in his campaign fund, the most of any U.S. House candidate in Ohio.
skolnick@vindy.com