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Source: Meehan raised $200K in 16 days (Updated)

Source: Meehan raised $200K in 16 days (Updated)

Former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan raised more than $200,000 in just over two weeks after formally announcing his Congressional candidacy last month, a source close to the campaign told pa2010.com.

Meehan got into the 7th Congressional District race Sept. 14, with Republican leaders seeming to clear the field for him to set up one of the most competitive House races in the country. In the 16 days between then and the close of the FEC’s third quarter, the source said, Meehan raked in more than $200,000. The early haul, apparently none of which came from the state committee Meehan had set up to explore a run for governor, provides more proof of his potency as a candidate and a fundraiser.

State Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) and political consultant E. Teresa Touey are running for the Democratic nomination, while state Representative Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) is considering a run.

FEC reports won’t be published until next Thursday.

UPDATE—The Meehan campaign puts out the following release:

Pat Meehan Raises More than $200,000 in 16 Days in Campaign for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District

DREXEL HILL, PA – Pat Meehan, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and former District Attorney of Delaware County, has raised more than $200,000 in the 16 days since he announced his candidacy for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.  In addition to his fundraising strength, Meehan’s candidacy has grabbed the attention of many political analysts, who now rate the seat as a toss-up or one of the most likely seats in the country to switch to the Republican Party.

“I greatly appreciate the tremendous groundswell of support that I have received since announcing my candidacy,” said Meehan.  “Local residents are frustrated because they feel that their voices are not being heard.  They feel that Washington is serving special interests and pushing a partisan political agenda that does not reflect our values or priorities.  As a Member of Congress, I will serve as an independent voice of the people on issues such as taxes, job creation, health care, and the need to restore fiscal responsibility in government.”

Since Meehan announced his candidacy on Monday, September 14 at events in Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester Counties, many political analysts have taken notice of his background, experience, and the strength of his campaign.

Washington Post political reporter Chris Cillizza called Meehan an “A list candidate” and said his campaign “creates a great pickup opportunity for Republicans” in a seat that “has a solid Republican base within it.”  Based on the strength of Meehan’s candidacy, Cillizza ranked the 7th Congressional District as the 6th most likely seat in the nation to change from Democrat to Republican representation. (Source: Washington Post’s The Fix blog, 9/25/09).

Charles Cook of the Cook Political Report noted in early September that “Republicans have an even money shot of picking up the seat of Senate candidate Rep. Joe Sestak (PA-07) in the inner Philadelphia suburbs, thanks to the… candidacy of popular prosecutor Pat Meehan.” The Rothenberg Political Report, a prominent handicapper of campaigns, recently switched its rating for the 7th District from the relatively safe “Democrat Favored” to “Toss-up.” (Sources: Cook Political Report, 9/3/09 and Rothenberg Political Report, 9/23/009).

“Even with the early successes and the support I have received, I recognize that this is going to be a long and hard fought campaign,” said Meehan.  “I look forward to talking with voters over the course of this campaign about my commitment to help put a stop to the unchecked spending in Washington, restore integrity and accountability to Congress, and ensure that the voice of the average citizen is again heard by our elected officials in the nation’s capital.”

share001btn Source: Meehan raised $200K in 16 days (Updated)

October 6, 2009 at 12:32 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

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comments [14] | post a comment

  1. Delco GOPer

    Oct 6th, 2009

    Now that’s a real campaign warrior! Let’s see Lentz Vitali top that!!

  2. David Diano

    Oct 6th, 2009

    Instructions for Delco GOP-er
    1) open mouth
    2) insert foot

    :-)

  3. SEPA GOPer

    Oct 6th, 2009

    When the FEC reports are filed, I bet Meehan outraises Lentz for the quarter. Key phrase from the Lentz release notes that the $250,000 is through October 6th, not the story seems to inaccurately portray.

    Pretty misleading by the Lentz camapign to bury that little tidbit.

  4. Afghani

    Oct 6th, 2009

    Let’s be clear about something. Just because you file with the FEC doesn’t mean you haven’t been starting to build fundraising ties. SO sure it was 16 days after declaring your campaign, but that is just a bullshit mark anyway.

  5. SEPA GOPer

    Oct 6th, 2009

    “Building fundraising ties?” There are very clear rules and regulations that any candidate must follow about what you can and cannot do prior to declaring one’s candidacy. You cannot send out solicitations, you cannot raise over a certain threshhold of money, you cannot expend money to raise money, etc. It is hardly a “bullshit” mark. If you are doing any one of a number of those things it brings you over a certian threshold of a few thousand dollars and you have not field with the FEC, you are violating the law.

    Lentz is trying to compare apples and oranges by playing with the dates of his fundraising totals and the media is letting him.

  6. Anonymous

    Oct 7th, 2009

    Hey, SEPA GOPer, BOO, HOO, HOO.

  7. Rick

    Oct 7th, 2009

    Lentz outraises Meehan and secures the AFL-CIO endorsement over Meehan more than a year before the election.This isn’t your father’s Delco anymore.

  8. David Diano

    Oct 7th, 2009

    “you cannot expend money to raise money” ???
    what pays for the postage for mailings, phone-lines, staff?

    The point here is that Lentz is off to a good start, and is showing potential to raise enough money to get his message out and compete with Meehan financially.
    The days of the GOP out raising us 10 to 1 for this are gone.

  9. Lana

    Oct 10th, 2009

    GOPer
    May want to check your facts.
    By the way, as far as I know Lentz hasn’t even announced yet and he has many endorsements by both party folks and lots of the unions aside from out raising Meehan. hahahahahah. Seems the days of the war board and hard noise republican rule is dead an buried in Delco. I have been fighting the GOP wacko’s for over 40 years so it is so nice that I may see their demise before I die.
    As the bumper sticker says, “the road to hell is paved with Republicans”, just so true, if the shoe fits all you RWNJ’s can wear it.

  10. Marcus

    Oct 16th, 2009

    Stooge.

  11. Dr. Akhil Bansal

    Nov 18th, 2009

    Subject: Request for Congressional Investigation against illegal hirings of SAUSAs by Patrick Meehan, Republican. Congressional seat contestant for 7th District in Pennsylvania.

    November 18, 2009

    Honorable House Representative :

    Honorable Senator :

    I write this to seek a congressional investigation for the illegal hiring of Special AUSA Mr. James Pavlock and others by Mr. Patrick Meehan during his term of office as a United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 2001-2008. Mr. Meehan is now running for the 7th district congressional seat in Pennsylvania.

    The Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA) and the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management Office(OARM) of the Department of Justice have confirmed to me after a long series of communications that Mr. Patrick Meehan had no authority to appoint Mr. James Pavlock as a Special AUSA for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. It is evident that Mr. Meehan appointed Mr. Pavlock based on political and ideological affiliations and to further his quest for witch hunts and Machiavellian prosecutions. Mr. James Pavlock, who had no previous litigation experience claimed himself to be ‘senior trial attorney’ and issued hundreds of illegal and punumbral subpoenas in normal investigations using the provisions of the USA PATRIOT ACT. When asked to disclose the subpoenas, he repeatedly denied the disclosure.
    I request a prompt congressional investigation against Mr. Patrick Meehan and Mr. James Pavlock. It is the Congress, which carries the traditional power to expose malfeasance and malversation of public officials. Moreover, the public should be informed about licentious hirings of partisan votaries and interlopers by Mr. Meehan and the nefarious abuse of USA PATRIOT Act. Upon request, I will provide all the necessary documentary proof to the honorable members of the Congress.

    Dr. AKHIL BANSAL

    Email :- perfectinjustice.bansal@gmail.com

  12. akhil bansal

    Nov 28th, 2009

    November 28, 2009

    Dear sir,

    SUBJECT: Patrick Meehan: Another one of G.W.Bush Stooge runs for election!!

    Former United States Attorney, Patrick Meehan, announced his candidacy of the Congressional seat in the 7th district of Pennsylvania. In his announcement speech, he vowed to ‘begin to restore this country.’
    This height of hypocrisy comes from a person who thoroughly abused his position as a United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. For a man who claims to ‘restore integrity to our nation’s capital’ and having a set of ‘guiding principles: faith integrity … and accountability,’ he has made unauthorized appointments to his interloper friends as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSA’s).
    It is for the public to decide that these appointment(s) were an attempt by Meehan to curb nation’s growing unemployment problem or another Blagojevich bazaar for government positions.** Meehan and his subordinates also fully abused the provisions of USA PATRIOT ACT to gather information in all kinds of normal, non-terrorist investigations. When requested to disclose the copies of these subpoenas, the prosecutors rightfully claimed the ‘state secret’ privileges. (Documentary proof will
    be mailed if you send your name and mailing address to perfectinjustice.bansal@gmail.com).
    Meehan’s rhetoric also includes talks about ‘fighting the big spending ways’ and ‘unchecked spending’ by the Federal Government. While, as a U.S. Attorney, he was providing first class airfares to his Assistant U.S. Attorneys and federal agents to travel around the world; a practice forbidden by the Department of Justice policies. Let’s not forget that this former law enforcement officer was also involved in gathering his campaign money through a personal fund raising event with the aid of Acting
    United States Attorney, Ms. Laurie Magid, and dozens of federal prosecutors; in violation of the Federal Hatch Act. Ms. Magid was investigated by the Office of Inspector General and promptly removed from the office. Meehan also has an on-going love affair with the pharmaceutical companies. The FEC records would show that majority of Meehan’s campaign finance is funded by them. Meehan has proved his loyalty
    to them by commencing sham prosecutions against any businesses which the pharmaceutical companies deem as adverse to their interests.
    The public should be informed the truth about this self-righteous, masquerading maverick, who is nothing but a Team Bush old puppet with new strings.

    Dr. Akhil Bansal
    Email – perfectinjustice.bansal@gmail.com
    Blog- http://drakhilbansal.blogspot.com/

    ** Blagojevich at least had the valid requisite authority to make a senate appointment.

  13. Akhil Bansal

    Nov 28th, 2009

    November 28, 2009

    Subject: TONYA WYCHE, The Evil Grinch who stole away the Justice from me…!!

    To: Every citizen who is seeking justice from the courts.

    The very essence of liberty certainly consists in the right of every individual to claim protection of laws and seek redress from the courts. When the courts become corrupted, the road to tyranny becomes more accessible. There are many examples of cases in which the court clerks have demonstrated a pattern of proclivity and kowtowing towards the prosecutors.

    In my case, the evil Grinch in the Third Circuit Court of appeals sits as a case manager by the name of Tonya Wyche. Ms. Wyche refuses to docket and file my pleadings and motions to my cases. I sent a motion for dismissal of the indictment based on an congressional amendment of the federal law, which proves that the conduct charged in my indictment was never considered as a crime by the congress. I sent repeated requests to her for her explanation as to why my motion is not filed, but my inquiries were never responded. I tried to call her on numerous occasions, but she refused to take my calls. When I tried to file my motion electronically, Ms. Wyche conveniently cancelled my registration as an Electronic Document filer to the courts. Ms. Wyche also refuses to issue an scheduling order in my criminal appeals despite the appellate case file in her office since past TWO YEARS!!.

    Ms. Wyche has hermetically closed the court doors for me and is preventing me to seek justice from the Court of Appeals.

    Her actions and conduct is not because of incompetence, but rather because malice aforethought. This curtailment of right to access the courts makes it more difficult to seek redress and easier to prolong oppressive incarceration of innocent persons. In so far as the court clerks violate the rights recognized by the founding fathers codified in the constitution, their conduct is illegitimate. May be that these clerks have their own customized version of the constitution. But, when court clerks scorn their oath to uphold the constitution, they transform themselves into predator class, and justice is lost leading to arcane, arbitrary and secretive procedures with flagrant erosion of justice.

    These type of clerks scorn their own mandatory duty by deciding the case and showing actual bias against the defendants for personal careerist reasons – promotion, retirement, post-retirement opportunity. Their power have given them a hubris, arrogance, and sense of invulnerability that has eroded the effective administration of the judiciary system. Rouge clerks do not have horns or tails; if they did, they would be easier to identify. The complaint proceedings against these corrupt clerks are a farce as no action is taken against these dissolute and venal clerks.

    I am not writing this with slightest expectations of ending this autocratic behavior. These clerks cannot be stopped because their behavior is simply a function of the way they are and how they think, their dispositions, and the way they deal with the criminal defendants. However, they can be understood, exposed, and watched, and there is a compelling reason to do so. While their misconduct may be considered harmless in the scheme of things, their larger undertaking is of great concern. These clerks, who carry out their vendetta against citizens almost never have to pay to either the government’s or citizen’s legal bills, and their only incentive is to stretch their power as far as possible.

    Clerks like Ms. Tonya Wyche cannot be trusted to exercise the powers given to them. Examples of this nature, if not restrained by national control, would be multiplied and extended till they become serious sources of arbitrary and disparate treatment. To prevent future bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the judicial system, these clerks have to be de-fanged and their arbitrary powers be excised. And without governmental involvement – without active monitoring of the actions of the court clerks and without vigorous resistance to their misconduct – people will have few means to safeguard their lives and property.

    ‘WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES … [YOU] TIE UP HEAVY BURDENS, HARD TO BEAR, AND LAY THEM ON THE SHOULDERS OF OTHERS; BUT [YOU] ARE UNWILLING TO LIFT A FINGER TO MOVE THEM …

    BLIND GUIDES ! YOU STRAIN OUT A GNAT BUT SWALLOW A CAMEL … [YOU] HAVE NEGLECTED THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF THE LAW AND JUSTICE….’ JESUS (Matthew 23:4-24).

    Submitted by,

    Dr. AKHIL BANSAL
    Email :- perfectinjustice.bansal@gmail.com
    Blog: drakhilbansal.blogspot.com

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