Posted on 06/28/2002 5:15:57 AM PDT by Lance Romance
Dem Party pockets $25G donated to fund youth award
The state Democratic Party pocketed $25,000 in donations raised for an award in the name of former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis - leaving the young award-winner with nothing but a glass etching of Dukakis' head. Party officials now concede that all the money from the fund-raiser held last October has been spent on other political activities and that the award-winner will not get a check - just a plaque. Officials say they intend to send $1,500 to an organization of young Democrats, but they haven't gotten around to it yet. The financially strapped Democrats recently spent more than $100,000 on ads and legal fees in the failed residency challenge against Mitt Romney. ``We've been a little bit tied up,'' Democratic Party spokeswoman Jane Lane said. The award, established by party chairman Philip Johnston to ``honor a young person for activism in their community and in the Democratic Party,'' was given during the October fund-raiser held at the posh Beacon Hill home of lieutenant governor candidate Chris Gabrieli. Johnston indicated to the winner, Jesse Mermell, that she would be getting a ``nice'' cash award along with the plaque, according to sources familiar with the award. Dukakis presented the award to Mermell last month at the party convention in Worcester, and Johnston told the Herald at the time that she would get a ``stipend'' of about $2,500. But party officials called Mermell last week - minutes after the Herald made inquiries about the award - and told her she wouldn't be getting anything. Instead, Lane said, winners ``get the nice award.'' Mermell, 22, an activist who now works on lieutenant governor candidate John Slattery's campaign, said she is not disappointed at the party's decision to donate money instead to the organization Massachusetts Democratic Future, which she recently headed. The organization provides volunteers and other help to the state party and Democratic candidates. ``I'm extremely honored to receive the first award,'' she said. ``Mass. Democratic Future is a great organization and a lot of good will come of this donation.'' Dukakis, who has funded dozens of scholarships for young people on his own, said he didn't know the details of the award funding. ``You'd have to talk to Phil (Johnston),'' he said. ``All I can tell you is we're trying to recognize young people in politics.'' Over the past few weeks, Lane and Johnston have offered various explanations about the Dukakis award and the October fund-raiser. Johnston originally told the Herald the fund-raising reception did not benefit the state party. Johnston said the money was directed to establishing the new Dukakis award. But officials now concede that the reception at Gabrieli's home was essentially just a fund-raiser for the party. The donations, estimated at $25,000, were not put in a separate fund. Lane also initially claimed the party would use the money from the fund-raiser to establish an ``endowment'' for the award. A spokesman for Gabrieli, who has been a major financial supporter of the state party, also repeated that the money raised at his home last October would ``endow'' the Dukakis award. But Lane said this week that the party will simply donate $1,500 a year to the Massachusetts Democratic Future in the name of the award-winner. Asked for a further explanation from Johnston, Lane said: ``Phil is not going to comment any further on this.''
by Joe Battenfeld
Friday, June 28, 2002
Adding insult to injury.
Better than a glass etching of Clinton's head... also known as "Little Willie".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.