Chandler's Gift Total Passes $63,000 Mark

For the past seven years, House Speaker Gene Chandler has held his annual Old Fashioned Corn Roast Gala Fundraiser.

And according to records released today, since 2001, the event has brought in at least 13-thousand dollars each year.

Chandler says he is still searching for receipts from the three Corn Roasts prior to 2001.

The money went to a committee called the Friends of Gene Chandler and was intended to help Chandler with the expense of being a state Representative.

Chandler says he believed that there was no need to report who contributed, how the money was spent, or even that the committee existed.

That appears to not be the case.

State law requires any elected official to report any gift over $50 dollars.

In the wake of Chandler admitting his mistake, House leadership is defending the Speaker as making a simple mistake.

House Majority Leader David Hess, who described the corn roast as a nice fall event, says he's always known the speaker to be totally fair, and ethical in his actions.

"I don't think it reflects adversely on his judgment if he was following advice of people purporting to be experts. When you ask lawyers, accountants for their advice, you generally rely on it, and act on it."

Citing Chandler's credibility, Representative Hess says he sees no need for any investigation into Chandler's actions.

Nor does the Secretary of State's Office have any plans to probe further. Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlon says it's not his office's role to push any review.

"I don't think we are going to take the initiative to pass that information along. I think now it's out there in the case of Gene Chandler it's out there, it's in the public domain. I am sure the AG's office is as aware of it as we are. And if they choose to take a look at it, or someone chooses to file a complaint with the AG's office, that is the appropriate action."

It appears that no one has formally filed a complaint with any entity right now.

But that doesn't mean there aren't people who find Chandler's fundraising troubling.

Upon hearing of the situation, House Minority Leader Peter Burling first reaction was outrage.

However, he says, he's reluctant to hold Chandler solely responsible for what he's done.

He says these so-called Friends Committees, used as slush funds have been around for quite some time.

And Burling accuses both the Attorney General's Office and the Secretary of State for knowing about it, and doing nothing.

"I am not willing to attack Gene Chandler for something that has been a pervasive problem for at least the past decade. The fact that a whole bunch of people have been doing it, doesn't make it right. But I do think it is worth saying a lot of people have been doing this."

According to a former Republican lawmaker requesting anonymity, Senate and House leaders have had these committees in the past.

But he says the funds raised never approached the level they did for Speaker Chandler, who just this year received over 19 thousand dollars from a tobacco company, lobbyists and PAC's.

But just like Republican leadership, Representative Burling says he's not going to bring any formal objection.

"I am not going to do it because the Republicans need to do this. This is about Republicans. There is a Republican who is challenging the speaker. That is the person who should be saying this stinks."

"I haven't made that decision."

Republican State Representative Anthony DiFruscia, who is challenging Chandler for speaker.

"I really don't want to taint any investigation. I think there should be an investigation. I think enough good people in the House that will bring it forward from both political parties."

At the same time, DiFruscia says he has a hard time accepting Chandler's explanation that he just made a mistake.

"I believe you can not take money from individuals and use it for personal use. We have to ask the question, does anybody in the world believe that the tobacco company contributed money to Rep. Chandler for any purpose other than political. And if he used that for his own mortgage...is there a debt here, and how was it repaid?"

The Attorney General's Office declined to say if they have opened a case, or if one has been requested.

If Chandler did violate the gifts and honorariums law, he could face misdemeanor charges.

For NHPR News, I'm DG.