World: Three Funds Fuel Johnson's Race

By Randy Krehbiel/Tulsa World ~ Rep. Rob Johnson, R-Kingfisher, was able to get a running start at this year’s Oklahoma Corporation Commission race by using three different campaign funds since January 2007.

He rolled his 2006 House campaign account into a 2008 House campaign last June, then rolled the 2008 House fund into a Corporation Commission account in January.

As a result, his Corporation Commission campaign reported more than $250,000 on hand at the end of March, twice as much as his fellow Republican Dana Murphy and about $70,000 more than Jim Roth, a Democrat.

All told, Johnson has raised $336,250 since the start of 2007, and two-thirds of that went to two House campaign funds that are now closed, Oklahoma Ethics Commission reports show.

Johnson said he didn’t contemplate a Corporation Commission race until late last summer, several months after Denise Bode resigned from the panel in April to become a lobbyist and Gov. Brad Henry appointed Roth to replace her, and several months after he opened his 2008 House account.

He said he did not make a firm decision about a Corporation Commission race until around the first of this year. The multiple funds allow major donors to legally double and even triple the $5,000 contribution limit for state campaigns.

The tactic, used most notably by former House Speaker Todd Hiett in his 2006 campaign for lieutenant governor, is allowed as long as a candidate does not operate active funds simultaneously.

For Johnson, it has already allowed nine donors who would otherwise be maxed out to give a total of $81,000 to his various funds.

Contributions include $14,000 from his father, Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, and $8,500 from a political action committee that lists Rob Johnson’s mother, Judy Johnson, as its chairwoman. The contributions also include $10,500 from the Chickasaw Nation and $10,000 each from the Tulsa oilmen Charles Harmon and Joseph Craft and from Mike Cantrell of Ada.

The records show that the largest share of Johnson’s money, 36 percent, came from oil and gas industry figures.

Johnson began 2007 rather modestly, raising $16,865 during the first three months of the year. He nearly doubled his total April 25, just days after Bode quit, but Johnson said he was not thinking about the Corporation Commission office then.

He rolled his 2006 balance of $35,763 into a 2008 House fund on June 5.

His fundraising picked up noticeably afterward. Johnson collected $160,234 during the entire 2006 campaign cycle, including the first five months of 2007. He raised $183,530 during the eight months he kept his 2008 House campaign open, and rolled $164,307 into the Corporation Commission fund that he registered at the end of January.

Johnson said he was prepared to run for re-election to the House if his Corporation Commission feelers came back negative. Instead, they came back bearing cash. “I wanted to talk to some people before I made a decision, and the more I traveled around talking to people, the more it resulted in raising money,” he said.

The Corporation Commission fund reported receiving $107,581.39 in two months. Murphy reported contributions of $148,872 with a balance of $128,458.Roth has taken in $252,744 with a balance of $174,475.

Share |