Politics & Government
Where is Leah Basile's city council campaign getting it's cash? Her lastest campaign report showed $0 in spending & donations
Based on my investigation (along with Adam Nick campaign filings & mailed flier timing), I think Adam Nick is secretly funding her campaign
Lake Forest received 2 political mailers on the same day late last week, one from candidate Leah Basile and another from councilman Adam Nick who is up for re-election. Since there have been rumors that they are running together (both were involved on the same side supporting the failed Lake Forest recall), I decided to perform a little research.
Calendar 2016 Campaign reporting of Donations and Expenses
First, I visited Lake Forest's election disclosure website ( http://lakeforestca.gov/659/Campaign-Disclosures) which led me to a hosted website where I searched for Leah Basile and Adam Nick (http://nf4.netfile.com/pub2/Default.aspx?aid=CLF)
First, Leah Basile has not reported any donations or expenses on her first and only Form 460 filing for the period January 1 to September 24th, 2016- https://www.dropbox.com/s/wfta6q0ul712jtq/Leah%20Basile_2016_0701-0924_Financial%20Summary.pdf?dl=0
Second, Adam Nick has raised $150,500 on the Form 460 during the same reporting period: https://www.dropbox.com/s/f4knjgh2nc8z1p0/Adam%20Nick_2016_0701-0924_Financial%20Summary.pdf?dl=0
I am quite surprised - I was imagining that Leah Basile was angling for a City Council run when she led the unsuccessful recall in the fall of 2015. I would have expected her to start raising funds and spending money on her campaign. But lo and behold, nothing. Nada. She hasn't raised a dime of donations or spent anything either.
The glossy and professional flier that was mailed to Lake Forest residents on last Friday (October 14) to support Leah's campaign takes much effort to design. It also says "Paid for Leah Basile for Lake Forest City Council 2016, FPPC #1389380." And for calendar year 2016 through September 24th, she hasn't spent anything?
According to my research and conversations with knowledgeable sources, it is almost impossible to raise the funds and produce the fliers, website and campaign signs between September 24th and October 11th (from the end of the campaign reporting period to last Friday). She had to raise something like $7,500 in donations AND professionally design a brochure AND have it printed AND delivered by the Post Office. This is quite an amazing feat for someone with no political history of raising donations.
Where is this money coming from? She literally had 18 days to raise enough donations to be able to deliver campaign signs, a website and her flier.
Additional Ties to Councilman Adam Nick
I compared the "Permit No." listed on both her mailed flier and Adam Nick's mailed flier (see attached picture with Basile's and Nick's fliers next to each other). Each used "Permit No. 635" - so both Adam Nick and Leah Basile used the same "Permit" number from the Post Office and both fliers arrived in the mail on the same day.
My understanding of obtaining a Permit number from the post office is that usually an individual (and in this case, a candidate) does not obtain them individually. Usually, it is a professional mail company that obtains Permits.
Using this reasonable assumption, the same company is mailing literature on behalf of both Leah Basile and Adam Nick.
Attention to Details
When conducting my research, I wanted to make sure it was actually Basile's campaign that was listed on her mailed flier. The campaign ID used on the flier was FPPC #1389380. However, the form on the city website lists her campaign number as FPPC #1383980 (see first Dropbox link above). All of the digits are the same except the 4th and 5th digits are transposed. One of the numbers is incorrect, but which one?
However, more importantly, is this "attention to detail" that Leah Basile will show if elected? Will she really pay attention to the specifics or just settle for being "close enough?"
After a few searches, the correct number is 1389380 - http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1389380
Summary
I believe Leah Basile's campaign is truly being funded by Adam Nick for the following reasons:
1. Leah Basile has not raised a penny for her city council campaign (through September 24th, 2016)
2. Adam Nick has raised $150,500 in calendar 2016
3. The same Permit number is used by the Post Office to mail both Adam Nick's and Leah Basile's mailed fliers
4. Both fliers were delivered on the same day
5. It would be nearly impossible for Leah Basile (a political novice) to raise $7,500 in donations, professionally design, print and deliver her brochure in just 18 days And design a website and print/deliver campaign signs?
For these reasons, I believe a logical person would think that Adam Nick is paying for her campaign literature.
Here are my questions:
1. How did Leah raise $7,500 in donations, design, print and then deliver a professional flier to Lake Forest mailboxes in just 18 days? And what about her website and campaign signs?
2. Did Leah Basile learn her reporting from the James Gardner school of NOT reporting expense and donations (http://patch.com/california/lakeforest-ca/state-political-watchdog-opens-investigation-councilman-james-gardners-2014)? Basile and Gardner are tied together as he supposedly donated $30,000 to her recall campaign.
3. Where is Leah's funding coming from? Since she raised $0 and Adam Nick raised $150,150 and the same Post Office Permit # was used in their mailed fliers (delivered on the same day), is Adam Nick funding Leah's campaign?
