Fitzwater's Funny Business
Discover more from The Duckpin
Fitzwater's Funny Business
There are major and serious discrepancies in Jessica Fitzwater's Campaign Finance Reports
Frederick County Councilwoman and Democratic Frederick County Executive candidate Jessica Fitzwater has serious discrepancies in her campaign finance reports.
On Fitzwater’s 2021 and 2022 campaign finance reports employer information from donors was mislabeled. These donors were particularly donors related to development interests and teachers unions. Examples include:
Rocky Mackintosh, CEO of MacRo Commercial Real Estate, is listed as employed by Frederick County Public Schools.
Joseph Donegan, a real estate agent with Scheer Partners, is listed as employed by Montgomery County Public Schools.
Missy Dirks, head of the Frederick County Teacher’s Union, is listed as employed by Colonial Jewelers.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the discrepancies:
Fitzwater 2021 Annual Report
Misreported Teacher’s Union Donations
Melissa Dirks is listed as employed by Colonial Jewelers on 10/12/2020; Dirks is the President of the Frederick County Teacher’s Association.
Francina Baldi is listed as being employed by FCTA (Frederick County Teacher’s Association), but the industry is listed as transportation.
The FCTA donations are especially relevant considering FCTA has already endorsed Fitzwater.
Multiple/Incorrect Employers Listed
David Fitzwater is listed as being employed by Severn & Kresslein, PA after having been listed with the Weinberg Center for the Arts in previous and subsequent reports.
Missing Addresses
Candy Greenway is missing an address on 7/30/2020.
Greg Jennings is missing an address on 8/3/2020.
Ellen Keyser is missing an address on 9/2/2020.
Misreported Candidate/PAC Donations
A donation from Sarah Elfreth is listed as a personal donation on 10/1/2020 instead of being properly listed as a transfer from a Maryland candidate.
A donation from Jamie Raskin for Congress is listed as a personal donation on 10/2/2020 instead of being properly listed as a transfer from a federal committee.
A donation from Friends of Chris Van Hollen is listed as a transfer from a Maryland campaign finance entity when no such state or federal entity exists. Additionally, no donation to Jessica Fitzwater is shown on Van Hollen for Senate’s FEC report.
The Realtors Political Action Committee is improperly listed as a contribution from a political club instead of as a PAC
Fitzwater 2022 Annual Report
Misreported Developer Donations
Jerry Connelly is listed as self-employed on 10/27/2021. Connelly is an employee of Pleasants Development, LLC and is listed as such in Fitzwater’s 2021 report.
Joseph Donegan is listed as an employee of MCPS on 6/25/2021. Donegan is a real estate agent in Frederick County with Scheer Partners.
Mark Lancaster is listed as an employee of FCPS on 10/21/2021. Mark Lancaster is the CEO of Lancaster Craftsmen Builders, LLC.
Earl Mackintosh is listed as employed by McCormick on 1/8/2022. Mackintosh is CEO of MacRo Commercial Real Estate.
Jim McKeever is listed as self-employed in science and technology on 12/21/2021. Mr. McKeever is president of Jemco, Inc, which is involved with rock drilling and blasting for construction services.
Misreported Teacher Union Donations
Cheryl Bost is listed as an employee of Pleasants Development, LLC on 2/10/2021. Bost is the President of the Maryland State Education Association.
Elizabeth Barrett is listed as retired on 2/20/2021 but is then listed as an employee of the Maryland State Education Association on 10/27/2021. Barrett is an eight-year member of the Frederick County Board of Education
Multiple/Incorrect Employers Listed
Stephanie Gawlinski is listed with eight different employers over the course of the reporting period.
On 7/7/2021 she is listed with Radcliffe Realty Group.
On 8/7/2021 she is listed with the Law Office of Andrew P. Gross.
On 9/7/2021 she is listed with By Light.
On 10/7/2021 she is listed with USAID.
On 11/7/2021 she is listed with Strong Schools Maryland.
On 12/7/2021 she is listed with St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
On 1/7/2022 she is listed as retired.
Heather Goddard is listed as an employee of the U.S Senate on 12/28/2021 and then listed as an employee of the Maryland State Education Association on 1/12/2022.
Charles Holden is listed as an employee of Mackintosh Real Estate, but on other reports is listed as St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Tish Honse is listed as an employee of Lancaster Craftsmen Builders, LLC, but in a report filed by another candidate is listed as retired.
Carmen Kaarid is listed as an employee of NVR, Inc. on 3.27/2021 and then is as an employee of Jemco, Inc. on 7/20/2021. In the report for Comptroller candidate Brooke Lierman in the same filing period, he is listed as an employee of the Montgomery County government.
Pamela Queen is listed as employed by Pamela Queen in Education on 7/8/2021. Queen is a member of the House of Delegates.
Caleb Rose is listed with eight different employers on this report.
On 1/23/2021 he is listed as employed by Hubert Construction, LLC.
On 4/24/2021 he is listed as employed by Frederick Community College.
On 5/24/2021 and 6/24/2021 he is listed as employed by AmerisourceBergen Corporation.
On 7/24/2021 and 11/24/2021 he is listed as retired. On 8/24/2021 he is listed as employed by DRB Group.
On 9/24/2021 he is listed as employed by GCS-SIGAL.
On 10/24/2021 he is listed as employed by Friends of Karen Simpson.
On 12/24/2021 he is listed as employed by IMS.
This is either gross incompetence or a deliberate effort to mislead the public about donations received from development interests and teacher’s unions. Whether these were clerical errors or a deliberate attempt to mislead voters, Jessica Fitzwater needs to come clean with her campaign finance reports and be transparent with the people of Frederick County.