Mitchell’s Dad Quits Campaign
Hat Tip: WBAL Radio & The Associated Press
Dr. Keiffer J. Mitchell has reimbursed the money, the younger Mitchell’s campaign Thursday said in a statement to The Sun.
In one case, the elder Mitchell spent more than $14,000 to pay for his wife to stay at a hotel while she recovered from knee surgery, The Sun said, citing Mitchell campaign sources.
Some $19,000 in checks were made payable to cash or ended up with unknown persons. More money was spent on insurance and house repairs.
Maryland law bars political campaigns from spending political money on personal expenses unless they directly benefit the candidate, according to state election officials.
“I love my father, and this is personally very difficult for me, for him, my mother and my family,” Mitchell in the statement. “But the steps I have instructed the campaign to take are necessary and appropriate. I am committed to giving the voters of Baltimore a choice.”
The spending would have become public when the campaign filed its pre-primary finance report with the state this month.
As treasurer, Mitchell’s father was the legal gatekeeper for all receipts and spending of the campaign. After his resignation, the campaign hired William D. Mulholland, a Washington-based CPA, as the campaign’s official treasurer.
The campaign will also hire a second CPA to perform a review of all finances, Mitchell’s statement said.
The elder Mitchell is an internal medicine physician and gastroenterologist with a private practice. It is not clear why Mitchell’s father used the campaign money.
A list of expenses was provided by the campaign. It indicated that Mitchell’s father spent $14,151 for a hotel stay while the candidate’s mother was recovering from knee surgery so that she could avoid stairs in her home.
The elder Mitchell made out $7,220 in checks to cash and spent $1,406 on people not known to the campaign.
And $10,350 was spent on checks made out to the elder Mitchell’s wife but cashed by someone else, according to the campaign.
Other payments were made to State Farm Insurance, BG&E Home and a roofing company, the document showed.
Mitchell is running against Mayor Sheila Dixon in the Sept. 11 Democratic primary. Asked about the incident Thursday, Dixon’s campaign manager, Martha McKenna, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mitchell family.”
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:13 am
The Mitchell family has a history of being crooks and shysters. This is nothing new. It comes as no surprise. keiffer Mithcell is a clown and a coward and possibly a crook. His father is a successful physician. keiffer couldn’t even pass the bar exam. Who do you think really stole the money?
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Don’t punish the son for the sins of his father. I don’t believe Keiffer Jr (the candidate) knew about the spending.
August 4th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
So, Ulysses,
You are speculating without any facts? I’ll blame who I want. Thank you very much. I blame KEIFFER! It’s his campaign, his account. The boy is not running for class president. He’s running for Mayor. You like him so much, move away with him to an island somewhere and let him handle your money. I don’t want him handling mine.
August 7th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I notice this campaign fraud is still getting glossed over by the news. Billy Murphy is so phony. Just using this to make it look like he cares about Mitchell’s rep. If Billy Murphy was for Black people, he would leave weak, keiffer alone and support Jill Carter for mayor. All of these phony’s like Billy Murphy and Larry Gibson, what have they done for Black people? Nothing. So, that’s why they stand with Keiffer and support his campaign fraud, because he has done nothing and will do nothing for Black people. I believe Keiffer Mitchell and Billy Murphy do not even like Black people. When you like people, you want the best for them. The best mayor for Black people and all people in this city is Jill Carter. She’s the only one that walks the walk. Keiffer should just go back home to his uncomfortable with black people, white wife, his white life, and his private school going, unruly little children who do not know how to behave in public.
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:58 am
“Keiffer should just go back home to his uncomfortable with black people, white wife, his white life, and his private school going, unruly little children who do not know how to behave in public.”
This is by far the most ignorant statement I have ever read. You need Jesus! Prozac! Something!
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:54 pm
You may think the above quoted statement is “ignorant”. But, there’s no argument as to it’s truth! Keiffer’s personal life aside, I’m still awaiting answers as to where the $56,000 in campaign funds was spent! There was supposed to be an audit of his campaign account once his father resigned. But, I don’t recall reading about the final results. $56,000 is a lot of money to miss or mis-use. I, for one, am still wondering where all the money went and if there is more. I’m also wondering whether this is the first time since I’ve heard keiffer and his father were chair and treasurer of his account for the past 10 years. If this is true, they had the control over the checks. No small matter.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Despite my constant support and campaigning fo the gorgeous, intelligent, action-filled, ect. Delegate Carter, I have yet to commit to voting for her. I am a person who gives everyone an equal opportunity to convince me that they should be what ever there campaigning to be. When I looked at Keiffer jr. situation, I initially thought that he would become our Mayor. Being an ignorant minded city, I thought that alot of people would vote for him because he has a white wife and hes a black male. For that reason, I believe the majority of people think hes the best canidate because he can relate to white struggles and black struggles. I was almost on the “ignorant bandwagon’ until this story came out. If this story don’t yell CORRUPTION then none does!!! $56,000 dollars!?!!!?? Goodness, goodness, goodness! The average person has a bad feeling when they lose 20 dollars, let alone $20,000! Things like this don’t just go away. If he becomes Mayor, how can we assure that money from City Hall won’t be missing? Who knows, this may be a stunt to get some pitty votes. I guaranttee that some of my brothers and/or sisters fell sorry for this man. Please don’t feel sorry for this man. How many people fill sorry for the families who are evicted from there homes because the father took the rent money and spent it on some crack?!?
August 28th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
By not voting for Mitchell, you allow Dixon to win. Trust me she has stole way more than $56k from taxpayers. Mitchell should not be punished by the actions of his father. And that money has been paid back. Do you have any relatives who have made mistakes? Should we blame you for them? I see if he still had him working on his campaign. But he doesn’t. He is decisive. He isn’t like Dixon who jumps when someone tells her to.
Wait for Dixon to pay back the money she has given to her sister, and all the unreported money she has received from contractors. You will be waiting a long time. I am voting for Mitchell, and I am far from ignorant. He is the best candidate. Carter is a good candidate, but she doesn’t have enough supporters to pull it off. So win Dixon wins and next year we are at 400 murders, I’ll think all of you who didn’t support Mitchell, the only person who has a real chance of beating her.
August 28th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
The evil “contractors” and developers have lined Mitchell’s pockets as well, Diane. Here’s an exerpt from a City Paper article from 8/15:
“Over the long term, Mitchell Jr.’s top business donor since 1999 is David K. Gildea, who gave $6,025, including $600 from his firm. Gildea is a lawyer for developers whose other practice areas include “election, campaign, and political law,” …Charles Theatre property owner Bowling Inc., its Shecter family principals, and a Shecter development partner, Tower Hill Development, together gave $5,500 in business donations…Developer Richard W. Naing’s RWN Development Group, which recently announced a deal with the city; over the Waxter Center and the old Brexton apartment building, came in third among Mitchell Jr.’s biggest business donors, with $2,750.”
Your logic related to why you’re voting for Mitchell is classic “Baltimore-eze”. How do you know that the 56k was paid back? (Please don’t tell me the Baltimore Sun told you so)
Mitchell is the best candidate? So his 12 years of being on the City Council WITH DIXON supporting her malfeasance shouldn’t be counted against him? I would imagine that he’s known about the “pay to play” culture before this election came around. Why hasn’t he spoken up before now? Oh that’s right. He didn’t have anything to gain from exposing it before now. So he played “Go Along To Get Along” knowing that he eventually would be running for mayor. (A real leader would’ve blew the whistle on it when they didn’t have anything to gain from it) So who ya gonna vote for: “Pay to Play” or “Go Along to Get Along.” How about neither. Does Baltimore really need another 4 years of a Mayor with questionable character and ulterior motives?
And perhaps Carter doesn’t have enough supporters because would-be supporters like you are still trying to convince yourselves that you’d rather have a little bit of corruption in Mitchell than a lot of corruption in Dixon. Hey I gotta thought - why not vote for a candidate with no political corruption? Or would that be too much like right?
August 29th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Tonight there was another mayoral candidate debate at the main library. Unlike Monday night’s televised debate, all candidates were given equal time. I was there in support of Delegate Jill Carter. She was at the top of her game tonight and there was no question in anyone’s mind that she stood far above the other candidates especially Dixon and Mitchell. I was truly proud to know her and to be supporting her campaign. At the end of the forum, we were swamped with new supporters who wanted to volunteer. A couple of people even handed us donations! Even supporters of other candidates were telling me they had to rethink their choice for mayor after tonight. Diane Jones and other Keiffer Mitchell supporters, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. Please don’t ignore what is right in front of your face. There is something that stinks to high heaven about Keiffer’s campaign and the mystery spending of campaign funds. There is something that stinks about his failure to accomplish anything for his district after being on the council for the past 12 years. There is something that stinks about the way he steals words and ideas from the other candidates and acts like they are his. I have seen Keiffer do this over and over again. I’m sorry, Diane, but Keiffer IS dishonest. I do not see any reason why anyone would vote for him. He is as bad, or maybe even worse than, Sheila Dixon.