News

May 9, 2009

6 judicial hopefuls bring in $100K

Of 17 in race, 5 others report revenue less than $30K; three were unavailable.

By Andrew M. Seder aseder@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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Six of the 17 committees vying to elect their candidates to two seats on the Luzerne County Common Pleas Court reported revenue during the past six weeks in excess of $100,000. By contrast, five candidate’s committees reported revenue less than $30,000.

The number of committees that fall into those categories could increase, because three reports were not available at deadline.

Of the 14 committee reports that were available for review Friday, two committees crossed the $200,000 threshold for money raised: the committee to elect Eugene Sperazza, 54, of Mountain Top, reported the highest dollar figure of contributions received, with $288,745, but also the most money spent, $281.542, leaving a cash on hand total of $7,202. The other reporting that it raised more than $200,000 is the committee to elect Joseph Musto, 65, of Duryea. With $215,560 in revenue and $193,037 in expenditures, Musto’s campaign had $22,523 on hand.

Third highest on the money raised list is the committee to elect C.J. Bufalino, 49, of Dallas. With $182,870 in receipts and $182,622 in expenditures, Bufalino’s committee was about $100,000 behind Sperazza’s.

Only three other candidate’s committees reported revenues in excess of $100,000 – that of Yatesville resident Joseph Terrana, 47, Dick Hughes, 48, of Mountain Top, and Tom O’Connor, 57, of Kingston.

With revenue of $129,826 and expenditures of $87,300, Terrana’s committee reported the most cash on hand at the end of the reporting period, which began March 31 and ended May 4. The committee showed $42,526 for its cash balance. O’Connor’s committee raised $131,895 and listed expenditures of $122,578. Hughes’ committee reported $110,395 in revenue and $100,587 in expenditures leaving $9,807 cash on hand.

Quite a few of the committees that had reports available Friday afternoon reported personal loans from the candidates. Michael Pendolphi, 43, of Kingston Township, loaned his election committee $25,000. Mike Blazick, 35, of Mountain Top, loaned his campaign $20,000. Sperazza loaned his committee $50,000, while Bufalino’s campaign received $30,000 from the candidate.

O’Connor loaned his committee $2,500. Tom Marsilio, 60, of Mountain Top, loaned his committee $3,806.73. Bill Amesbury, 61, along with his wife Karen, of Wilkes-Barre, loaned his campaign $75,000.

Other campaigns reported loans from candidate’s friends and families including: Terrana, who got a $1,500 loan from his brother John Terrana of Kingston; Bufalino, who received a $95,000 loan from John and Maureen Moran of Dallas; and the committee to elect Molly Hanlon Mirabito, 46, of Forty Fort, reported a $1,500 loan from her husband Michael Mirabito. Judith Whitaker, of Sugarloaf, loaned Marsilio’s campaign $4,800.

By far, the campaign with the highest amount of loans received is that of Musto. His wife, Fortunata Musto, loaned the campaign $82,375 to date.

Other reports filed and available for review Friday included the committee to elect Stephen Menn, 50, of Plains Township. The campaign spent $4,971 and brought in $15,180 showing cash on hand of $10,208. Blazick’s campaign reported $44,020 received and $27,141 with cash on hand, totaling $16,878 in expenditures. Pendolphi’s committee raised $34,550 and spent $13,152.

The committee to elect Tina Polachek Gartley, 42, of Plains Township, reported $26,724 in revenue and $30,193 in expenses. Thanks to nearly $5,100 cash on hand when she started the reporting period, she has a positive cash on hand total of $1,618.

The committee to elect Jennifer Rogers, 42, of Harveys Lake, showed $11,777 in revenue and $3,907 in expenditures with a cash balance of $7,869. The committee to elect Tom Marsilio, 60, of Mountain Top, raised $16,811 and spent $13,477, leaving a cash balance of $3,334.

Mirabito’s committee reported $9,250 in revenue and $7,522 in expenditures, leaving $1,727 cash on hand.

Amesbury’s committee expenditures of $137,350, well in excess of the $85,045 in revenue reported. Thanks to his $75,000 personal loan, the committee still has a positive cash balance of $22,694.

As of deadline, reports from committees representing candidates Tony Lumbis, 57, of Sweet Valley; Joe Sklarosky Jr., 40, of Mountain Top; and Daniel Zola, 33, of Nescopeck, were not available. Statements might not have been posted online by the Department of State by close of business Friday and others might be in route via the mail system.

Andrew M. Seder, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reach at 570-829-7269.

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