TAUNTON — No fewer than 15 Taunton candidates failed to file their mandatory campaign finance report prior to the Nov. 7 election.

The city’s Election Department sent letters out on Nov. 8 to the 15 candidates saying they had missed the Oct. 30 deadline and warning them that if they did not file within 10 days of receipt of the letter, “this office will notify the director of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance as required by law.”

Bridgewater State University Professor of Political Science Brian Frederick said a few days make a big difference in this case. The deadline to file is prior to — not after — the election for an important reason, he said.

“It’s necessary so a voter can cast a fully informed vote when they go to the polls,” said Frederick, explaining that voters “can rightly infer” those people and groups donating money to candidates are doing so because they will support their interests.

“If the public doesn’t have this knowledge, then they are not casting a fully informed vote,” Frederick said.

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Who got letters?

The 15 candidates who received letters from the Taunton Election Department are:

1. Anthony Abreu, Planning Board, incumbent, re-elected
2. Brian Carr, Planning Board incumbent, re-elected
3. Christopher Coute, City Council incumbent, lost bid for re-election; Zoning Board of Appeals, challenger, not elected
4. Kelly Dooner, City Council incumbent, re-elected; Planning Board challenger, elected
5. Christine Fagan, School Committee incumbent, re-elected
6. Craig Faria, Zoning Board of Appeals incumbent, re-elected
7. Derek Michael George, School Committee incumbent, lost bid for re-election
8. Heather Lynn Bailies-Grigoreas, School Committee challenger, not elected
9. John Joyce, Zoning Board of Appeals incumbent, re-elected
10. Tanya Lobo, School Committee challenger, not elected
11. Louis Loura, School Committee incumbent, re-elected
12. Julie Ochs, School Committee challenger, not elected
13. Scott Rodrigues, Zoning Board of Appeals incumbent, lost bid for re-election; Planning Board challenger, not elected
14. Seth Turner, Zoning Board of Appeals incumbent, re-elected
15. Steven Vieira, School Committee incumbent, re-elected;  Zoning Board of Appeals incumbent, re-elected

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Was anyone else late?

Yes. There were other candidates late to file their campaign finance reports, though they filed prior to the election and did not receive letters from the Elections Department.  City Councilor Jeffrey Postell filed on Monday, Nov. 6 and City Councilor John McCaul filed on Thursday, Nov. 2. 

What is required to be reported?

The Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) states in its guidelines for municipal candidates that pre-election reports, covering receipts, expenditures, and contributions from the start of the year to 18 days leading up to an election, must be submitted at least 8 days prior to the election, in this case by Oct. 30.

Candidates with campaign committees and campaign funds have to file finance reports which detail the names of donors and amounts of donations from each donor. If a candidate is self-financing, they need to indicate those out-of-pocket expenses. 

For candidates with no committees who aren’t accepting donations or making any expenditures on their own behalf, they just have to sign a form indicating that. 

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Are there fines for filing late?

The letters issued by the Taunton Elections Department say the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance can fine candidates $25 per day, or up to $5,000 for each late report.

“Voters didn’t get to see where [all] candidates’ monies originate, and how they spent it.  It is important that they file timely,” Taunton Elections Department Director Mark Pacheco told the Gazette.

Other consequences?

Aside from monetary penalties, Frederick said a consequence candidates face for failing to disclose financial reports on time is the possibility of it being used against them by political opponents or critical voters. 

“There can be a stigma with running again,” he said, adding, “There is the question of whether they should be in office again.”

Why file late?

Despite the amount of late filings being “a lot” and “unusual,” said Frederick, he doesn’t see it as a trend.

“There’s no systemic evidence I have seen,” he said. 

For new candidates, Frederick chalks it up to inexperience and “not being familiar with the rules.” 

Regarding seasoned politicians, Frederick said “more innocent explanations” range from candidates delegating duties to supporters on campaign committees “not as steeped in the details” and procedures regarding financial reporting, to the candidates simply losing track of time during the busy, door-to-door campaign season. 

Reasons candidates gave for being late

Louis Loura, who won re-election to the Taunton School Committee, said he was late to file because the treasurer for his campaign committee was on vacation the week pre-election finance reports were due.

“I couldn’t get a ahold of her to sign,” he said, as the signature from the committee treasurer is a requirement on the report. 

In other cases, some candidates don’t have campaign committees and don’t take donations. 

“I am late. I know that,” said Brian Carr, who won re-election to the Planning Board. “I had no donations and no committee. In all my years, I never have,” said Carr, adding he was late to file because, “There was a lot of stuff going on.”

Christine Fagan, who has served on the School Committee for 28 years, and won a new term this past election, said she was late to submit her pre-election finance report because of a miscommunication with the Elections Department over procedures for filing this season. 

She added she’s never had a political committee, doesn’t do fundraisers or ask for donations, and only spent $150 of her own money for radio ads this season. 

Christopher Coute, who lost both his bid for re-election to the City Council and his bid as a challenger for a seat on for Zoning Board of Appeals, didn’t give a reason, when contacted, for his tardiness with filing his finance report, but said he self-financed his campaign and did not accept any donations.

A friendly reminder

John McCaul, who just won his seventh term as a city councilor, told the Gazette that while filing pre-election campaign finance reports are a routine occurrence, he was late by a few days because of no reminder of the due date given by the Elections Department. 

“It’s campaign season. You’re running around, doing so many things. Sometimes you forget stuff,” he said, adding he and other candidates, in prior elections, used to get reminders of the due date for filing reports a few days beforehand.

“I was upset.  It would have been nice if he would have followed up more,” McCaul said of Pacheco.

But Pacheco, who was the town clerk in Dighton for two years prior to becoming the Taunton elections director this year, said all candidates, when returning their nomination papers, received a packet containing all important documents, as well as a political calendar containing dates and deadlines for submitting things like finance reports. 

“We give them all the tools to succeed,” Pacheco said.

Fagan echoed McCaul’s explanation, saying she received a packet of information when she filed her nomination papers in the spring but expected a reminder message from the Elections Office to turn in her pre-election finance report.

Regarding following-up with candidates during election season about filing finance reports, Pacheco said “I never like it when they push back, saying ‘I didn’t know.’ If you are running for office, you need to know what is expected of you, especially if you are raising money. It’s their responsibility.” 

Who still hasn’t filed?

At time of Wednesday, Nov. 22, The Elections Office hadn’t certified pre-election campaign finance reports from 5 of the candidates: Heather Baylies-Grigoreas, Chris Coute, Derek George, John Joyce, and Seth Turner.

2 of the 5 remaining late filers still haven’t certified via signature with their postal carrier they have received the Nov. 8 letter, Pacheco said, which is why the Elections Office hasn’t yet reported anyone to the OCPF.

“To treat everyone the same,” he explained, once those remaining 2 “sign for their certified mail and 10 days has passed, anyone outstanding will be referred to OCPF.”