FEC Reports Cause Controversy in Bass-Swett Race
By Tia Carioli and Gregory Chisholm
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2002–Federal Election Commission reports have become the center of bickering between candidates in New Hampshire’s 2nd district race. NHPR Correspondent Tia Carioli reports from Washington.
According to FEC reports released Tuesday, Democrat Katrina Swett’s campaign has collected over one million dollars while Republican Incumbent Charlie Bass has raised a considerably smaller $650,000. Controversy surrounds where the money is coming from. The Swett campaign insists most contributors are local.
But Sally Tibbits, a spokesperson for Bass’s campaign blasted Swett for listing small contributions from New Hampshire in an attempt to distort the fact that most of her money came from out of state.
She’s listing and itemizing campaign contributions of $.50 and $1 so that it looks like she has support from NH when in fact 95% of her money comes from out of state, outside New Hampshire.
Swett’s campaign dismissed these allegations, claiming the large number of small donations shows she is in touch with New Hampshire’s working class.
For NHPR News, this is Tia Carioli, in Washington.
Broadcast on New Hampshire Public Radio, in New Hampshire.
