Campaign financial reports filed less than two weeks before the Aug. 26 municipal election show incumbent Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller has raised almost three times as much money as his opponent Rainer Meadows.
According to the state-mandated 10-5 day pre-election report filed with the Lee County Probate Office, Fuller raised $22,911 in cash contributions since filing his 45-day pre-election report on July 7.
The 10-5 day pre-election report filed by Meadows shows he raised $8,549 in cash contributions since filing his 45-day report on July 8.
The combined 45-day and 10-5 day pre-election reports for each mayoral candidate show Fuller raised $55,685. Meadows raised $16,619.
Fuller’s cash contributions include funds from businesses, individuals and one political action committee — or PAC — the Alabama Builders PAC, which is listed in his report as a $1,000 contribution from “ABPAC.”
In March, Meadows stated he would not accept any PAC-to-PAC transfers. Meadows’ 10-5 day report shows he received contributions from two PACs —$500 from the Growth PAC and $1,000 from the Alabama Builders PAC.
Meadows, who co-owns Sterling Properties with his wife, said the Alabama Builders PAC funds originated from a contribution from the Lee County Homebuilders Association.
Meadows said he was told the Growth PAC funds were the result of a contribution from an unknown individual in Lee County, not from a PAC-to-PAC transfer. Meadows said he will further verify the information when final reports are filed by each PAC later this year. If it turns out that the money came from a PAC-to-PAC transfer, Meadows said he will “give it back.”
One of the individuals listed as a contributor to Fuller’s campaign wasOpelika resident Roy L. Johnson. “This is not Roy Johnson, the former chancellor of the two-year (college) system,” Fuller said.
The former chancellor was involved in a sweeping corruption scandal involving the two-year system and is awaiting sentencing by a federal judge.
One person’s name was on both mayoral candidates’ reports — Rishi Rajan —who donated $250 to each campaign. Fuller said Rajan has been a friend of his for years and that Rajan also attends church with Meadows.
bharvey@oanow.com | 737-2546
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement