Tuesday, April 16, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Who’s running away with campaign cash

CASH DASH — While some of you were charging down Boylston Street Monday, our federal lawmakers were running headlong toward a different kind of finish line: the midnight deadline to file their first-quarter campaign finance reports.

We parsed the paperwork for their main campaign accounts (after the marathon, of course). Here’s what we learned:

THE LEADERBOARD — Elizabeth Warren is ramping up her fundraising in the face of a growing field of Republican challengers.

We already knew the state’s senior senator raked in more than $1.1 million from January to March, up from the $867,000 she posted in the final three months of last year. We now know that’s the largest haul for any delegation member for Q1. Warren also has the most cash on hand, after starting the month with $4.4 million in her campaign coffers.

In second place: House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark with $494,000. She has $1.5 million in cash on hand.

Rounding out the bunch: Rep. Bill Keating, who brought in less than $36,000. But he has more cash in his campaign account — roughly $765,000 — than several of his Bay State colleagues.

The person with the least cash on hand (for the second quarter in a row ): Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who entered the month with $277,600 after raising about $269,000 and spending $232,000. FWIW, Pressley will probably get a bump next quarter from her reelection campaign launch.

AIPAC’s PLAY — A powerful pro-Israel group is playing in Massachusetts politics — but not in the race you’d think.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee that’s expected to spend upwards of $100 million trying to knock out members of the “Squad” hasn’t made any overt moves against Pressley, one of Democrats’ most vocal advocates for a cease-fire in Gaza. But the group is helping funnel donations toward Clark and Rep. Jake Auchincloss. More than $75,300 of Auchincloss’ $376,100 haul was funneled through AIPAC, as was more than $36,600 of Clark’s take.

PAYING THEIR WAY — At least two of Warren's challengers are propping up their campaigns with their own money.

Attorney and crypto advocate John Deaton had set a public goal of raising $1 million by the end of March. He did — but only by loaning it to himself . Deaton personally contributed $1 million of the more than $1.3 million he reported in receipts over the first six weeks of his campaign. He started the month with just under $1.2 million in cash on hand because of it.

Meanwhile, conservative activist Robert Antonellis loaned himself $19,000 of the roughly $22,000 he brought in this past quarter and has $5,300 in cash on hand. Nothing to report from Quincy City Council President Ian Cain yet — he didn’t register with the Federal Election Commission until after last quarter’s cutoff.

CRYPTO CURIOUS — Deaton’s gambit to take campaign contributions in cryptocurrency sort of paid off: He raised just over $8,000 through 49 donations, according to his campaign. Most of them were less than $200, which is why they don’t show up on his itemized report.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Congrats to all the marathoners!

Runners approach the finish line at the Boston Marathon, on April 15, 2024. | Charles Krupa/AP

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey visits Brigham and Women’s Hospital at 10:30 a.m. and Ascend Elements in Westborough at 12:45 p.m. as part of her Mass Leads Act Roadshow. Sen. Ed Markey is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. Attorney General Andrea Campbell talks AI at UMass Boston at 1 p.m. Pressley joins a press conference endorsing community safety legislation at 2 p.m. at the Capitol.

Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com .

THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.

Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY .

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Tax scofflaws could get break on unpaid debt,” by Christian M. Wade, The Daily News of Newburyport: “The proposal, tucked into a $57.9 billion budget plan being considered by lawmakers, would authorize a 60-day tax ‘amnesty’ program, allowing Massachusetts residents with outstanding state tax liabilities to pay them off. If approved, it would be the first tax amnesty program in nearly a decade. … Fiscal watchdogs say the tax amnesty could help the state drum up much-needed revenue at a time when overall tax collections have fallen below benchmarks.”

DAY IN COURT

A demonstrator stands in front of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse during the first day of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial related to hush money payments, in New York City, on April 15, 2024. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO

UNPRESIDENTED — The first-ever criminal trial of a former president began on Monday with some progress on jury selection inside the Manhattan courtroom and dueling demonstrations outside the building where proceedings in the hush-money case against Donald Trump were taking place.

SPEAKING OF COURT CASES — Jury selection begins today in the trial of Karen Read , the Mansfield woman accused of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe , in Canton in 2022. The Boston Globe has profiles of Read and O’Keefe .

— “Capitol riot suspect Michael St. Pierre's trial delayed. Swansea grocer wants a new lawyer,” by Jo C. Goode, The Herald News: “Former Fall River grocer and Swansea resident Michael St. Pierre’s federal trial for his alleged role in the riot on the U. S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was supposed to start Monday morning. But rather than moving ahead with a bench trial in federal District of Columbia District Court, federal Judge Jia M. Cobb approved a last-minute motion by St. Pierre to fire his court-appointed defense attorney.”

PREVIOUS ARTICLE

A grand jury indicts Swansea man on more charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots
excerpts:
In a video posted at the time to his own Facebook page, St. Pierre, who also goes by the Facebook name "Mike Stadium," is seen wearing head gear and a flak jacket marching toward the Capitol, saying he wanted to assault House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“Hopefully they’ll bust through, and I’ll join them to rush the Capitol, to grab Nancy Pelosi by the hair and f—— twirl her around,” St. Pierre states in the video.
He was also captured using a bull horn to urge fellow protesters to enter the Capitol building and hurling a long object he later identified as a portion of a flagpole.
At the time St. Pierre reportedly traveled to Washington, D. C. with his family to attend the rally protesting the outcome of the election, he was the owner of the Family Foods Grocery Outlet located on William S. Canning Boulevard. The business shut down later in 2021 and has since been torn down.
Just weeks after St. Pierre admitted to participating in the Jan. 6 riots, the discount store owner received a cease-and-desist order and fines for allegedly violating COVID-19 protocols by the state’s Department of Labor Standards at the Canning Boulevard business.

PREVIOUS ARTICLE

DATELINE D.C.

TOUGH SELL — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is aiming to pass a package of four bills this week that would send aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, our colleagues report. In doing so, he’s rejecting pressure to pass legislation already sent over by the Senate — and frustrating Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

“I just feel enormously frustrated , the idea that they are going to start from scratch and build something better than we already sent from the Senate, doesn’t even make sense at all,” Warren, who supports putting conditions on aid to Israel, told our colleagues at the Capitol .

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

JOHN DEATON VOTED 3 TIMES IN 20 YEARS!
JUST ANOTHER CARPET BAGGER!
NO TIES TO MASSACHUSETTS!

DIVING IN ON DEATON — MassLive’s John L. Micek is out with a lengthy interview with one of Warren’s Republican challengers , John Deaton , in which the candidate says President Joe Biden “100%” won the 2020 election (Deaton’s already been clear he doesn’t support former President Donald Trump. ).

He also says the U.S. should not write “blank checks” to Ukraine and Israel “has the absolute right to defend itself” — but “in a way that minimizes citizen death.” And he believes asylum seekers should remain in Mexico while their cases are adjudicated.

POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2024 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO will again be your eyes and ears at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles from May 5-8 with exclusive, daily, reporting in our Global Playbook newsletter. Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground covering the biggest moments, behind-the-scenes buzz and on-stage insights from global leaders in health, finance, tech, philanthropy and beyond. Get a front-row seat to where the most interesting minds and top global leaders confront the world’s most pressing and complex challenges — subscribe today .

FROM THE 413

— “Three Amherst Regional Middle School counselors absolved of Title IX offenses,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Even with complaints that their actions and behavior, including intentional misgendering students, were likely offensive, three counselors at the Amherst Regional Middle School have been cleared of violations of the federal Title IX law in response to complaints received by the district, with determinations that they didn’t deny any student equal access to the district’s educational programs or activities.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Labor board finds Andover teachers union broke law with advocacy for article,” by Teddy Tauscher, The Eagle-Tribune: “The Andover Education Association violated the law by advocating for a Special Town Meeting article in 2022, according to the state. Last month, the state’s employment relations board found that advocacy by union members for an article, which sought to use American Rescue Plan funds to give stipends to instructional assistants, violated the union’s duty to bargain in good faith. … The Andover Education Association is appealing the decision, according to union President Matt Bach.”

— “Why is Fall River hiring teachers with giant billboard in Brockton?” by Christopher Butler, The Enterprise: “Brockton Public Schools have been in the spotlight recently for turmoil and violence — with teachers warning of a mass exodus if things don't improve. … But [Fall River Public Schools’ HR director, Tom] Coogan said that Brockton was an attractive location to advertise due to its proximity to colleges like Stonehill and Bridgewater State University.”

— “Urban renewal battle in Lawrence pits mayor against city council,” by Simón Rios, WBUR.

MEANWHILE IN MAINE

— “Maine lawmakers reject bill for lawsuits against gunmakers and advance others after mass shooting,” by The Associated Press.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former Massachusetts first lady Ann Romney ; former Patriots coach Bill Belichick , Jane Oates , a former Kennedy staffer now with WorkingNation; and Doug Elmendorf .

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .

Follow us on Twitter