Friday, June 23, 2006

Who is Howard Rich? pt. 5

So how much influence does libertarian multimillionaire Howard Rich have on SC politics from his SoHo apartment? Instead of asking his lobbyists lurking on Gervais Street -- whose nerves seem rather tender anyway -- let's gauge his influence the old-fashioned way: in dollars.

From the State Ethics Commission database, here are the contributions (since December) from Rich's address, 73 Spring Street, New York, NY for... let's pick someone at random here... Governor Mark Sanford:

12/1/05 - Joseph R. Rich - $3,500
12/1/05 - Daniel Rich - $3,500
1/9/06 - 123 Lasalle Inc. - $3,500
2/16/06 - 4220 Broadway Inc. - $3,500
2/16/06 - 4220 Broadway LLC - $3,500
3/27/06 - 123 Lasalle Associates - $3,500

That's not your eyes going out on you. There's two Riches, two LaSalles, and two Broadways. All donating the maximum contributions, from the same address. But they're different, see. They're all so very different.

And if you think $21,000 is an inordinate amount to contribute to one candidate, it gets better. Or worser, depending on your perspective.

Governor Sanford also got $3500 from "Spinksville, LLC" in Baltimore, MD (3/28/06). Spinksville’s principle address isn’t actually in Maryland, though. It’s 73 Spring Street, New York, NY, and Rich is the principle agent.

Another $3500 came from "405 49 Associates," which offers a Houston, TX listing, but has an “alternate” address of 73 Spring Street, New York, NY.

Now the shell game really gets tricky…

The Houston address of “405 49 Associates,” is 10200 Richmond Ave., Suite 250, Houston, TX, 77042.

That’s also the address of an entity named “West 14 & 18 LLC,” which contributed heavily to four State House challengers and one Supt. of Education candidate.

A Google search reveals another company, JMG Realty, also at 10200 Richmond Ave., Suite 250, Houston, TX, 77042. But JMG’s Atlanta address is “1010 One Premier Plaza, 5605 Glenridge Drive, Atlanta, GA 30342,” from which another $3500 was contributed to Sanford in the name of “Rosemeade Investors, LLC,” (4/12/06).

The Atlanta address is apparently the home of another Rich prop-up as well, “Ashborough Investors,” which contributed heavily to five pro-voucher State House challengers and one Supt. of Education candidate.

And I’m sure there’s more, better-concealed money out there that Gervais, with his public school figgerin', just isn’t smart enough to spot. But I think that’s enough to answer the question, Who is Howard Rich?, as it applies to SC politics.

He's what's wrong with SC politics.

go to next Rich-related post

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well played, Gervais.

It's almost as though someone hired a black fisherman to run for office in order to scare white folks into supporting their sister's candidacy.

I guess, only you will ever know, since you're so smart.

Laurin Manning said...

Really interesting, Gervais! Wonder if any of the MSM (mainstream media) will bite on this?

Anonymous said...

Nothing illegal here.

Anonymous said...

Nothing illegal here.

Only loophole-rific money laundering.

____________ said...

Laurin,
You would hope that the MSM will but ...... you never know. Hopefully Gervais isn't done yet!

Anonymous said...

Is Mr. Furious just a lurker that is always, well, Furious? See Laurin's page today.

Anonymous said...

Great detective work, Gervais.

This is a good lesson in who's trying to affect our state's education, why campaign finance reform is seriously flawed, and how some people when shown evidence (Mr. Furious) will then resort to personal attacks because they have nothing intelligent to retort. Perhaps because a New Yawker has told them what to say - YET!

Anonymous said...

Thank God for the conservative values that rule our state's politics.

Anonymous said...

I'm seriously impressed. Finally a reason to be proud of the SC blogosphere. Fine work.

Anonymous said...

Great blog. Nice Work.
That said, I DO wish someone from outside of the SC gene pool would bring in some new ideas about education (other than vouchers). Being 48th-50th each year and now once again dead last in grad rates..its embarassing(though not surprising) that we don't learn . Can't we like..um copy what numbers 1-10 are doing perhaps..and maybe shoot up to a respectable 34th? Its been the same for all of my 37 years here..

Anonymous said...

Gervais, you've done a remarkable job sleuthing out these numbers, but, nonetheless, I disagree that Mr. Rich's influence can be considered as a serious flaw in the SC political system. After all, you've already explained quite well how unsuccessfully most of the school choice candidates fared on Primary Day. You should just be glad he's not funneling that cash directly into Mike Campbell's camp.

At best, or at worst, Mr. Rich & Co. are getting a poor return on their investments, and you're getting a lot of blogging material.

The Cackalacky Candidate said...

HEY!!!!......LOOKIT!!!!!......IT'S.....

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22
Club+for+Growth
%22+%22
Howard+Rich
%22+%22
George+Mitchell
%22&btnG=Search

Howard Rich on the Leadership Council of the Club for Growth. No surprise there.

But is this George Mitchell the very same George Mitchell who is the Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company, that owns ABC News, that produces a faux news show called 20/02, that pays one John Stossel to host a show called Stupid In America?

If so, then Mickey Mouse does hate public schools.

Of course the major media won't make this stuff public. Thay are the major media.

tammy said...

Yee Hawwwwwww! Thanks Gervais. Good work.

:-) t

Anonymous said...

Too simply answer Will's question: Yes, I do lurk and am always furious. Thanks for cracking the code. I feel liberated now.

So, if I ask a question, noting irony, that's off limits?

Just checking where the boundaries are.

Thanks for being our moral compass.

The Cackalacky Candidate said...

Laurin & Michael

Actually, the MSM, via theState.com, did bite on this about a year ago and did spit out the "73 Spring St." address:

(This is G o o g l e's cache of http://www.thestate.com/mld/
thestate/11123709.htm)

Posted on Sun, Mar. 13, 2005

MONEY TRAIL

Hundreds of special interest groups contributed money to S.C. legislative races last year. Three little-known N.Y. firms gave $28,000. A principal in one of those firms also is tied to an Illinois firm that has played a role in South Carolina’s tuition tax credit debate.

FROM NEW YORK ...

• Bradford Management of New York Inc., 123 Lasalle Inc., 4220 Broadway Inc., Rich Lending Corp. and 538-14 Realty LLC together contributed $30,000 to 18 Republican lawmakers.

• All five companies have the same address, 73 Spring St., Suite 507, New York, NY 10012.

• Bradford Management’s chairman is Howard Rich. The chairwoman of 123 Lasalle and 4220 Broadway is Andrea Rich, Howard Rich’s wife. Howard Rich is also the main contact for Rich Lending Corp. and 538-14 Realty LLC. Efforts to reach Howard Rich, Andrea Rich and the five separate companies were unsuccessful.

TO ILLINOIS ...

• Bradford Management’s Howard Rich is a former board member and president of U.S. Term Limits.

• U.S. Term Limits has the same address as the LEAD Foundation — 240 Waukegan Road, Suite 200, Glenview, IL 60056.

• LEAD has the same address as Americans for Limited Government.

• Americans for Limited Government is the registered agent of www.scrgov.org, the Web site of South Carolinians for Responsible Government, the organization that has been the primary supporter of Gov. Mark Sanford’s tuition tax credit bill, the so-called Put Parents in Charge bill.

TO SOUTH CAROLINA

• Lawmakers who received contributions from Bradford Management, 123 Lasalle or 4220 Broadway: Sens. Bill Mescher, Billy O’Dell, Chip Campsen, Danny Verdin, Glenn McConnell, Harvey Peeler, Kevin Bryant and Larry Grooms; and Reps. Catherine Ceips, Doug Smith, Dwight Loftis, Joan Brady, John Graham Altman, Michael Thompson, Richard Chalk, Thad Viers and Tracy Edge.

• South Carolinians for Responsible Government gave $1,000 to Rep. Michael Thompson.

SOURCES: House and Senate ethics committees; N.Y. secretary of state’s office; www.networksolutions.com

(I guess all this sleuthing falls under the category of "Re-Hash.")

The Cackalacky Candidate said...

So, how does "73 SPRING STREET LIMITED PARTNERSHIP" fit into all of this?

http://appsext5.dos.state.ny.us/
corp_public/
CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_SEARCH_ENTRY

Surely, Gervais must know.

The Cackalacky Candidate said...

HEY!!!!......LOOKIT!!!!!......IT'S.....JOHN STOSSEL - LIBERTARIAN!!!.....

http://www.theadvocates.org/
celebrities/john-stossel.html

....on his newly updated biopgraphical webpage...on the website for the Advocates for Self-Government...that was founded by Marshall Fritz... who also founded Alliance for the Separation of School & State....that produced the I-hate-public-schools proclamation, "I proclaim publicly that I favor
ending government involvement in education" ...that Karen Iocavelli signed up for... prior to joining/leaving the SCEOC ....and prior to joining the SC Club for Growth.

No bias in reporting here, eh?

The Cackalacky Candidate wants to know: With what we know now, does 'Stupid in America" qualify as a paid political ad for Mark Sanford???

We now know the people who truly are 'Stupid in America.'

Anonymous said...

Good work. That's incredible! Thanks for the info.

R. Brian McCarty said...

I have found a similar pattern in three state house races in the upstate so far. Campaigns for Brad Cain, Dan Harvell, who lost, and Don Bowen all got similar donations.

It is not only out of state influence, but it borders on deception.

Isn't this kind of thing what put Tom Delay on the outs with the GOP and the nation?

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