McMahan's Campaign Manager Says 'Hands Off List,' 'The Dead List' Raised Suspicions
By Tony Thornton/The Oklahoman, Blogging From Muskogee ~ Jeff McMahan’s chief fundraiser for his 2006 re-election campaign faced two huge obstacles. She dubbed them “The Hands Off List” and “The Dead List.”
Combined, those two lists accounted for the largest single source of money for McMahan’s first campaign in 2002. Now, the people on those lists were untouchable, Erin Bradshaw testified Monday.
Bradshaw had worked a governor’s race in North Dakota and two other political races in Kansas when, in 2005, she was brought in to help get McMahan re-elected as state auditor and inspector.
As she delved into McMahan’s campaign contribution reports from 2002, she noticed a large number were tied to abstract company owner Steve Phipps. Some were clerical workers who gave as much as $5,000, which Bradshaw said raised red flags.
She said McMahan instructed her not to contact those people.
“Anybody that was somebody Phipps might be involved with, I was to be hands off with,” Bradshaw testified.
That included former state Sen. Gene Stipe and the 2002 donors tied to him. Stipe and Phipps were secret business partners in 2002. By 2006, they were suing each other, and both were under FBI investigation.
“The Stipes were completely off the table (for campaign money), because there was so much publicity by then,” Bradshaw testified.
The dead list, Bradshaw explained, includes donors from a candidate’s previous campaign who have either died since then or indicated they don’t want to be bothered for another contribution.
One such person was Ancel Arrington, an Edmond accountant who gave $2,700 in 2002. Bradshaw said she was sitting across from McMahan, making fundraising calls, when McMahan relayed this message that Arrington had just told him: “I only gave in ‘02 because somebody told me to, and I will never give again.”
Arrington did accounting work for Larry Witt, who in 2002 co-owned some abstract and title insurance companies with Phipps. By 2006, Phipps was under FBI investigation, and both Witt and McMahan were distancing themselves from him.
Combined, those two lists accounted for the largest single source of money for McMahan’s first campaign in 2002. Now, the people on those lists were untouchable, Erin Bradshaw testified Monday.
Bradshaw had worked a governor’s race in North Dakota and two other political races in Kansas when, in 2005, she was brought in to help get McMahan re-elected as state auditor and inspector.
As she delved into McMahan’s campaign contribution reports from 2002, she noticed a large number were tied to abstract company owner Steve Phipps. Some were clerical workers who gave as much as $5,000, which Bradshaw said raised red flags.
She said McMahan instructed her not to contact those people.
“Anybody that was somebody Phipps might be involved with, I was to be hands off with,” Bradshaw testified.
That included former state Sen. Gene Stipe and the 2002 donors tied to him. Stipe and Phipps were secret business partners in 2002. By 2006, they were suing each other, and both were under FBI investigation.
“The Stipes were completely off the table (for campaign money), because there was so much publicity by then,” Bradshaw testified.
The dead list, Bradshaw explained, includes donors from a candidate’s previous campaign who have either died since then or indicated they don’t want to be bothered for another contribution.
One such person was Ancel Arrington, an Edmond accountant who gave $2,700 in 2002. Bradshaw said she was sitting across from McMahan, making fundraising calls, when McMahan relayed this message that Arrington had just told him: “I only gave in ‘02 because somebody told me to, and I will never give again.”
Arrington did accounting work for Larry Witt, who in 2002 co-owned some abstract and title insurance companies with Phipps. By 2006, Phipps was under FBI investigation, and both Witt and McMahan were distancing themselves from him.
Labels: Ancel Arrington, Erin Bradshaw, Larry Witt, McMahan Trial
posted by Mike McCarville @ 12:36 AM
