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Clinton bills irk locals
One company calls Clinton’s campaign office ‘unprofessional.’
YOUNGSTOWN — Though U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton took care of business in last month’s Ohio Democratic primary victory, particularly in this area, some area businesses said she didn’t take care of business with them.
Clinton’s campaign finance reports for February showed more than $20,000 owed to four Valley companies and an employees union that helped with her campaign.
The issue took on a life of its own when Politico.com, a political Web site, wrote about Clinton’s campaign not paying a number of small businesses nationwide, including two of the local companies, for work done, primarily at rallies and other events. Those companies are Forty Two Inc. of Youngstown and Show Tyme Exhibits Inc. of Poland.
The Politico.com story was picked up by the Drudge Report, a major political Web site, as well as MSNBC and CNN.
A review of Clinton’s debt by The Vindicator reveals two additional local companies and a Youngstown-based union owed money by her campaign.
Checks to those four companies and the union were processed Monday and will be mailed shortly, said Isaac Baker, a Clinton campaign spokesman.
The timing of preparing the checks had nothing to do with the Politico.com article, Baker said.
The campaign pays its bills within a month, he said.
The campaign owed $26,110 to Forty Two Inc., a production company, for sound, lighting and staging at an Austintown Fitch High School rally and an economic summit in Zanesville.
Forty Two sent invoices to the campaign on March 19, Baker said.
The campaign mailed a $13,215 check to Forty Two for the Zanesville event Wednesday, and the company received it this weekend.
Forty Two will have the $12,985 check for the Fitch event shortly, Baker said.
“It wasn’t the fact that Sen. Clinton owed our company money that was the issue, it was the unprofessional behavior of the folks at the campaign office,” the company wrote in a statement e-mailed Monday to The Vindicator.
“Our staff called many times per day, sent daily e-mails and even certified letters requesting a response. For weeks no response was made from the campaign.”
Forty Two also did $18,500 worth of work for the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., including his Youngstown State University rally in February. Obama’s campaign paid the full amount.
The Politico.com article points to companies in other parts of the country waiting to be paid by the New York senator’s presidential campaign for services. Baker said several of those invoices were processed Monday.
Clinton’s campaign reported in February having $8.7 million in unpaid bills, most of it to major companies.
Show Tyme Exhibits Inc. is on that list, but even the business’ owner says his company can hardly be considered major.
Show Tyme did work for both Obama — his appearance at YSU, RMI in Weathersfield Township as well as at the Community College of Beaver County in Pennsylvania — and Clinton — rallies at Austintown Fitch and Chaney High School in Youngstown.
Jim Phillips, Show Tyme’s owner, is waiting for a $607 payment for staging work, the use of platforms for the media and crowd control at a Clinton appearance at a February visit to the General Motors complex in Lordstown.
“I sent them an invoice and was told they’d take care of it within a week,” he said.
“That’s not the case. It’s frustrating. I’ve been in contact with them continuously. I was told to keep looking for” the check in the mail.
The campaign processed Show Tyme’s check Monday, Baker said. The company submitted an invoice to the campaign Feb. 23, Baker said.
Clinton’s campaign owes $950 to Multimedia Farms of Canfield for use of a teleprompter and other items during Clinton’s rally at Chaney.
“It disappoints me quite a bit,” said Clare Neff, the company’s president, of not receiving a prompt payment.
“It’s a slap at small businesses. She spouts her belief about small businesses and she’s not paying her bills. ... I feel real lucky compared to the amounts owed to other companies. This won’t happen again. When you send someone an invoice, you expect to get paid. People truly believe her message, and she does this.”
The campaign owes $5,261 to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts Local 101 in Youngstown for work done setting up and taking down staging.
But John Osborni, the union’s business agent, isn’t terribly concerned, saying local business also owe money to the union.
Also, Clinton’s campaign owes $650 to Specialite Corp. of Youngstown. Specialite refused to comment.
A review of Obama’s campaign debt didn’t show any local companies.
skolnick@vindy.com