Jun 25, 2013 5 min read

It was difficult to get a complete picture of political campaign spending in the Washington County race for two openings on the bench because financial reports from two of the eight candidates were not available through the Department of State press office or website.

Financial reports as required for the 30-day period following the May 21 primary, in which candidates Mike Lucas and Valarie Constanzo won both the Democratic and Republican nominations for two open seats, were due Thursday.

Calls to Tom Fallert’s and Lane Turturice’s law offices about the lack of documentation were not returned Tuesday. Both candidates cross-filed.

“Candidates are not removed from the ‘failed to file list’ until we receive the report and/or the late fees that are owed for that cycle,” wrote Nick Winkler, Department of State spokesman, in response to an emailed request for information about Washington County judicial candidates.

Turturice as a 2013 judicial “candidate and the committee failed to file the second Friday pre-primary report. The late fees for each are $250. The late fees for the 30-day post-primary report are still accruing. We cannot determine the exact amount that he owes until we receive the reports, or if they don’t file before the late fees reach a maximum of $250.”

A search of the state’s website also turned up a late fee for a post-election report in 2011 when Turturice was the Republican nominee for a judicial seat that Democrat Gary Gilman won. “With regard to the 2011 30- day post-election report, we do not have record of receiving any payment of the $150 late fee that was assessed,” Winkler wrote.

Costanzo’s committee, meanwhile, was the sole organization to have filed copies of her reports, pre-primary and post-primary, in both Harrisburg and the Washington County elections office as of Monday.

The Friends of Judge Costanzo began the May 7 reporting period with a balance of $56,130 and raised $4,468 in the waning days of the campaign, including $2,500 from the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Pittsburgh, and $1,000 from Louis Caputo, a Pittsburgh attorney.

Barring the entry of an independent candidate in the November election, Costanzo and Lucas are assured of winning the seats.

Costanzo’s major campaign expenses were $36,109 to Mack Sumner Communications of Alexandria, Va., for a mass mailing; $5,095 to Observer Publishing Co. for advertising; $2,128 to Washington radio station WJPA; and a $3,000 consulting fee to EIS Solutions, Bridgeville.

Campaign debt was identical to the pre-primary reporting period, $20,000 loaned from the candidate and $10,000 loaned from Eileen Costanzo, campaign treasurer.

The committee for the other nominee, Elect Mike Lucas Judge, began the May 7 reporting period with a balance of $20,986 and raised $10,660 before the May 21 primary, including $5,600 from those contributing more than $250: $1,000 from Arthur Schwotzer of McMurray, $1,000 from Beverly Wilson of Amity, $1,000 from Louis Caputo of Venetia and $2,000 from James McDonald of Washington.

Lucas’ committee had an in-kind contribution of $2,198 from Ray Bologna for catering and banquet facilities in Burgettstown, site of a pre-primary event.

The committee ended the reporting period with a $409 unpaid debt to the candidate and a cash balance of $3,235.

Among his committee’s major expenditures was $3,862 to Clifford Gorski of Belle Vernon for media design and consulting, $1,239 for shirts and hats, $6,263 Accurate Advertising, Pittsburgh, for printing and direct-mail advertising, plus $1,650 for poll workers and a total of $1,535 to the Elks Lodge, Washington, for catering and facility rental May 10 and election night.

Lucas’ campaign was assessed a $40 late fee for its 30-day post-primary report, according to the Department of State website.

The Committee to Elect Blane Black Judge had $3,028 from the pre-primary reporting period and raised $3,960, including $1,000 from attorney James W. Haines of Monongahela. His expenditures came to $5,407 and reported no debt. Black had a $400 in-kind contribution from Jim Black of Black Dog Hollow, band for a May 16 fundraiser.

Black was listed among the “failed to file” candidates, but Harrisburg’s time stamp on a copy of his committee’s form was illegible and the website listed no penalty. A request to the Department of State to explain Black’s inclusion on list was not answered late Tuesday afternoon, but Black said he was erroneously included on the list before and suspects the same thing happened again.

“I’m not sure what the issue is with them,” Black said Tuesday afternoon. “It was mailed at least six days prior to when it was due. I haven’t received an email like I did before that it was not timely filed. They issued an apology before, and I expect them to issue an apology again.

“The story is that the state is inefficient. We never had these problems when Democrats ran the state, and you can quote me on that.”

The (Alan) Benyak for Judge Committee began the reporting period with a $7,887 balance, raising $17,812 for a total of $25,709 and reporting expenditures of the same amount. Benyak’s committee spent $23,732 with Capslock Communications, Pittsburgh, for postcards, postage, printed handouts and other media purchases; $472 for robocalls through PRS Data Systems, Pittsburgh; and $1,500 for poll workers.

The Kurowski for Judge Committee began the reporting period May 6 with a negative balance of $24,050 and received no contributions through June 10. The committee paid $15,000 to West Media, Latrobe, on June 3 and also reported an unpaid debt for the same amount as a loan from the candidate, Charles E. Kurowski.

Peter V. Marcoline III, candidate, began the reporting period with a negative balance of $1,513 and received no contributions through June 20.