Politicians to reveal fund-raising details

The coming days will be brimming with news stories and blog posts about the 2010 fund-raising activities of heavyweights like Gov. Bobby Jindal and workaday officials from local school boards and city councils. That’s because tomorrow marks the annual deadline for our state’s elected officials to file their campaign finance reports with the Louisiana Ethics Administration. Some of the state’s best-known politicians, though, are ahead of the game and have already filed their annual reports. For example, you can already peruse 31 pages detailing the financial dealings of House Speaker Jim Tucker’s campaign. Tucker, R-Terrytown, reported having $191,000 in his campaign kitty at the end of the year. He raised about $93,000 in 2010, of which more than $85,000 was collected through the sale of tickets for fundraisers, showing just how lucrative a draw the gavel can be. A number of lawmakers kicked up honorariums to Tucker, like $500 from Rep. Bodi White, R-Denham Springs, $250 from Rep. Jerome Richard, a Thibodaux independent, and $500 from House Appropriations Chairman Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro. Then there are contributions from corporations, such as the Walgreen’s contribution of $1,000, just like those of AT&T and Georgia Pacific. Tucker’s 2010 campaign activities were efficient if nothing else, costing only $15,000. Some of the expenditures show Tucker was involved with a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander of Quitman. He donated $250 to the Republican congressman and another $75 to state Rep. Noble Ellington of Winnsboro to help cover “event cost.” In retrospect, it should have served as foreshadowing: At the time, in August, Ellington was a Democrat; he switched to the GOP only a few months later. To keep an eye out for campaign finance reports as they’re posted online this week, click here. —Jeremy Alford