I am writing in response to The Sun story on state Rep. Colleen Garry's campaign finance violations. I hope Garry will file an amended Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) report listing the previously unreported expenditures and contributions. The fact that more expenditures were underreported than receipts means that Garry was not trying to enrich herself at public expense. Yet even this type of violation can have pernicious results for our political system. By appearing to have more cash on hand than she actually did, Garry may have appeared more formidable to potential challengers.

One of the advantages of incumbency is having a big campaign war chest to scare off potential opponents. If the underreporting of expenditures was applied to her current reported balance of $19,247 it would fall to $7,905. Since 2006 her account balance has only been this low once, her 2006 year-end filing. Has her lax bookkeeping left an inflated balance in her account to intimidate others from running?

I do not understand how $11,342 more can be reported as expenditures than receipts. If the money is spent it is an expenditure. That money must come from somewhere. If it comes from the campaign checkbook it is deducted from the balance of campaign contributions. If it comes from the candidate's own wallet, credit card or checking account, it needs to be reported as an expenditure and a contribution. Even if the money is reimbursed it counts in both categories. The $11,342 difference in receipts either means her campaign checking account balance is less than listed on her OCPF filing or she purchased items with her own money and did not report it as a contribution.

Garry claims she was doing her own bookkeeping. Yet every campaign filing listed at mass.gov/ocpf lists Mark Riordan of Dracut as her campaign treasurer. Did The Sun attempt to contact Riordan for comment? Should Riordan's lack of oversight subject him to OCPF penalty?

Public records must be complete and accurate. Incomplete bookkeeping can skew the political process. Tip O'Neill called money the mother's milk of politics. The accurate tracking of that money is key to the survival of the republic.



Editor's note: The OCPF fined Rep. Colleen Garry $5,000 of which $2,500 was suspended.