CAMPAIGN FINANCES

Judicial candidates Anthony Thibodeaux and Dean Wattigny have spent a combined $150,906 ahead of the Nov. 4 election, according to campaign finance reports.
They are running for the Division A seat on the 16th Judicial District Court, which is being vacated by retiring judge Gerard B. Wattigny, the candidate’s brother.
Thibodeaux, of Morgan City, and Wattigny, of New Iberia, brought in a combined $256,775 in contributions from donors and loans to their campaigns, according to campaign finance reports that were filed 30 days in advance of the election. All funds for the campaigns were accounted for through Sept. 25. Reports were due to the state ethics commission by Oct. 6.
Candidates also are required to file a report on finances 10 days before the election. The deadline for those reports was Monday. Other reports include Election Day spending and a report 10 days after the election.
All financial reporting is devised from candidates’ 30-day reports unless otherwise noted.
Thibodeaux received $30,900 in total contributions and $59,100 in loans, according to his 30-day and supplemental special reports. The loans were personal loans from Thibodeaux to his campaign in the amount of $31,100 and $28,000 from M C Bank.
During that reporting period, Thibodeaux’s campaign spent $80,778.
Among his expenditures were $22,131 to P Plus Signs in Berwick for campaign materials; $12,000 to Fletcher Consultants in Baton Rouge, a political consulting firm; $6,880 to Mike’s Signs in Breaux Bridge; $6,250 for campaign materials to ETM Advertising Specialties in Berwick; $5,643 to LAMAR Advertising in Baton Rouge for billboards; $4,155 to Brock Menard of Breaux Bridge for sign construction; KQKI radio for advertising, $3,295; $2,757 to Ira Patureau in Amelia for sign construction and reimbursement of sign material purchases; $2,520, Trevor Reeves of Baton Rouge for website construction; The Daily Iberian, $2,244, advertising; and $2,000 to Stacy Schliewe of Baton Rouge, social media consultant.
Contributors who gave the maximum contribution of $2,500 were AAA General Contractors of Alexander City, Alabama; Brian B. Angelle of Lafayette; Exotic Products of Anderson, South Carolina; Huron Exploration of Lafayette; and J.E.K. Inc., of Berwick.
Meanwhile, Wattigny received a total of $106,275 in contributions; $60,500 in loans; and spent $70,127.
According to his report filed 30 days prior to the election, Wattigny received $98,275 in contributions and $42,223.85 in loans. He spent $70,027, according to the same report.
Contributors who gave the maximum contribution of $2,500 were Beverly Shea, of New Iberia; Jerry Shea, of New Iberia; Caffery, Oubre, Campbell & Garrison LLP, in New Iberia; Rebecca Bernard, of New Iberia; David D. Daly, of New Iberia; New Industries, in Morgan City; Major Equipment & Remediation, in Morgan City; Gerald J. Bourgeois, attorney, of Morgan City; Ronny Theriot, of St. Martinville; Duplantis & McNulty LLP, in Franklin; and Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello Carmouche & AMP, Assoc. LLC, in Baton Rouge.
Wattigny’s campaign also received a $40,000 loan from Community First Bank in New Iberia and a $2,223 loan from Wattigny, the report stated.
Among his expenses, Wattigny paid $30,825 to the Munson Group in Alexandria, a public relations and advertising firm; $19,969 to Promotional Images in New Iberia for promotional materials; $10,013; $2,909 to Café Des AMI in New Iberia; and $2,161 to Action Specialties in New Iberia.
According to special report filed Oct. 22, Wattigny’s campaign received $8,000 in contributions and a $20,000 loan from Wattigny. Two entities contributed the $2,500 maximum, which included Custom Automated Controls Inc. in New Iberia and Seatran Marine LLC in Amelia.
For Wattigny’s annual 2013 report, Wattigny’s campaign received a $500 loan from Wattigny and spent $100 on his filing fee for statement of organization.
Among other candidates running for office on Nov. 4, there were several who did not file 30-day reports.
Louisiana Ethics Administrator Kathleen Allen said the contribution limit for any other office below the district level is $1,000. Candidates at this level are not required to file a report unless they make expenditures of more than $2,500 or receive a contribution of more than $200 from any one source not counting their own funds, Allen said.
School Board
In the race for the District 9 seat of the St. Mary Parish School Board, incumbent Bill McCarty spent $806 and has received contributions of $2,500.
The contribution was a loan of the candidate’s personal funds to his campaign.
Expenditures were $302 to MC Silk Screening in Morgan City for T-shirts; $389, Bush Signs in Montgomery, Alabama, political signs; and St. Mary Clerk of Court, $115, filing fee.
His opponent, Jeff Trimm, has not filed any campaign finance reports.
Patterson police chief
Candidates for Patterson police chief received $16,714 in campaign contributions and spent $13,749.
Incumbent Patrick LaSalle received $13,600 in contributions, while candidate Pam Washington received $3,114. Included in his total, LaSalle received a $3,000 loan from Patterson State Bank.
LaSalle’s campaign spent $10,846. Washington’s campaign spent a total of $2,903.
LaSalle’s campaign received the following maximum $1,000 contributions to his campaign, which included B.A. Adams Sr., of Morgan City; Glenn Conrad, of Patterson; Kimberly Conrad, of Patterson; Don Abney Inc., in Patterson; Johnny’s Propeller Shop, in Morgan City; William Marin Sr., in Patterson; Kirk Smith, of Morgan City; Michael Smith, of Berwick; and Waveland Plantation, in Patterson.
Among LaSalle’s campaign expenditures were total payments of $2,700 to KBZE, in Morgan City; $1,680 to Teche Broadcasting Corp.; $1,334 to Plus Signs, in Morgan City; and $1,117 to the Apple Store, in Metairie.
Washington’s campaign lists $3,114 in contributions with $2,500 from Fitzgerald Inspection Inc., in Amelia; $500 from Washington herself; and an in-kind contribution, valued at $114, from Salon 360 TJ Malveaux, in Morgan City.
Among those expenditures were payments of $790 to Flawless Screen Printing, in Morgan City; $620 to Sign Depot, in Orlando, Florida; and $587 to Designer Business Cards, in Morgan City.
Patterson mayor
For the City of Patterson mayor’s race, candidate Billy Badeaux’s campaign received $2,900 in contributions all coming from Badeaux and spent $5,624. Among those expenses are $3,600 paid to Kerry Consulting Group LLC, in Thibodaux; and $874 paid to Skippers, in Morgan City.
Mayoral candidate Rodney Grogan did not have any campaign finance reports listed on the state ethics program website pertaining to the Nov. 4 election.
Berwick mayor
In the Berwick mayoral race, incumbent Louis Ratcliff spent $776 and received contributions of $1,200.
The contributions were three loans of personal funds from the candidate to his campaign.
Expenditures were $100 to Berwick High School for golf tournament hole sponsorship; $100 to St. Mary Chamber of Commerce, golf tournament hole sponsorship; $40 to St. Mary Clerk of Court, qualifying fee; and $536 to L-H Printing, campaign materials.
His opponent, Jessie Boudreaux, has not filed any campaign finance reports.
Berwick Town Council
Candidates for the Berwick Town Council who have filed reports have collectively spent $2,395 and collected $2,627 in contributions, largely from their personal funds.
Jacki Ackel received $1,088 in her personal funds reported as contributions to her campaign. She spent $35 for a voter list from the Louisiana Secretary of State; $59 for a campaign photo at Talbot’s Photo Express, in Morgan City; $75 to Berwick High School, football program ad; $812 to L-H Printing, of Morgan City, campaign materials; and MC Silk Screening, of Morgan City, $107, campaign T-shirts.
Duval Arthur Jr., received $405 in contributions with $305 listed as personal contributions to his campaign, $50 from Kevin Voisin, and $50 from Atchafalaya Bonding Service, in Morgan City. He listed $43 on his 30-day report as funds on hand at the beginning of the reporting period in January.
Arthur has spent $80 qualifying for the campaign with the St. Mary Clerk of Court and $225 with L-H Printing for campaign materials.
Damon Robison received $700 in contributions with $500 coming from personal contributions and $200 from Brian and Debra Torline, of Berwick. He spent $567 comprised of $10 in bank fees to Iberia Bank; $48 at Talbot’s Photo Express, in Morgan City for photography; $40 to St. Mary Clerk of Court for qualifying; $50 to Berwick High Athletic Boosters for advertising; $200 to 4Over, in Glendale, California, for yard signs; $21 to Sign Warehouse, in Denison, Texas, for a magnetic sign; $25 donation to Berwick Housing Authority; $136 for campaign cards at L-H Printing; and $35 for plastic bags at Uline in Coppell, Texas.
Greg Roussel contributed $433 in personal funds to his campaign.
He spent $70 for qualifying with the St. Mary Clerk of Court, $263 at L-H Printing for campaign material, and $100 to St. Mary Council on Aging as a banquet sponsor.
Troy Lombardo and Randal Monceaux did not file campaign finance reports.
Justice of the peace
In the Ward 5 justice of the peace race, David Hill received $350 in personal funds listed as a contribution. His 30-day report does not indicate where or if the money was spent.
Mamie Perry reported expenditures of $671, but her 30-day report did not detail where her funding came from or how much money she has received.
She spent $472 at 24 Hour Yard Signs in Cookeville, Tennessee, and $199 at vistaprint.com.
Lee Condolle did not file a campaign finance report.
Constable, Ward 5
In the Ward 5 constable race, James Carinhas received $4,050 in contributions and expended $2,781, according to his 30-day report.
Contributions included $1,300 of personal funds; $1,000 from Johnny’s Propeller Shop, in Morgan City; $500, Lee Felterman, of Patterson; $500, Ben Adams, of Berwick; $250, Omega Waste, in Patterson; $250, B.A. “Red” Adams, of Patterson; and $250, Victor Versaggi, of Lafayette.
Expenditures were Plus Signs, in Berwick, $699, campaign materials; Patterson State Bank, $17, check order; Patterson Police Community Day, $100, donation; Bush Signs, in Montgomery, Alabama, $412, signs; Designer Business Cards, in Morgan City, $136, campaign cards; Superior Steel, in Morgan City, $82, sign frames; and Elite Graphics, in Morgan City, $1332, banners.
Doug Perry did not list where contributions came from. He spent $2,321 on the campaign as of the 30-day report.
Perry’s expenditures were $1,416 to 24 Hour Yard Signs for signs; vistaprint.com, $199, campaign magnets; and Custom Ink, in Baltimore, $706.
Bronson Blanchard did not file a campaign finance report.
Constable, Ward 9
In the race for constable, Ward 9, candidates have received $1,193 in contributions and have spent $693.
Candidate John S. Arceneaux’s campaign has received $500 in contributions from Earl P. King Jr., of Amelia, and he did not report spending any money. Joey Foret’s campaign received $693 in contributions from Foret and also spent $693.
Patterson City Council
In the race for Patterson City Council, candidates have received $2,655 in total contributions.
Incumbent Joe Russo III’s campaign has received $276 in contributions from Russo and spent $276. Incumbent John Rentrop’s campaign has not received any contributions nor spent any money, according to his report.
Incumbent Larry Mendoza’s campaign has received $229 in contributions from Mendoza and also spent $229.
Candidate Travis Darnell’s campaign received $2,149 in contributions. All contributions came from Darnell with the exception of a $100 contribution from Tunson PCA Agency LLC, in Napoleonville. Darnell’s campaign finance report did show that he has not spent any of those contributions.
City Council candidates Sandra Marshall, Sandra Turner and William “Billy” Picou Jr. do not have campaign finance reports listed on the state ethics program website.