Fund-raiser for candidate faulted

On March 25, Worth & Co. Inc. hosted a political fund-raising event for Republican congressional candidate Tom Manion at its offices in Pipersville, Bucks County.

A complaint letter mailed recently to the Federal Election Commission by a former mayor of Riegelsville alleged that the event amounted to an illegal campaign contribution to Manion, who is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy in Philadelphia's northern suburbs.

The FEC, however, has taken no action because the letter was improperly filed.

Federal law bars corporations from making political contributions, in cash or services. So it was up to Manion to reimburse any spending by the Worth company, a plumbing and heating contractor that also hosted a political event by GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain yesterday.

The invitation to the March event, which requested a minimum donation of $250, said the event was paid for by Manion's campaign. But a report that Manion was required to file with the FEC in April shows that, as of March 30, he had not paid anything to cover Worth's expenses.

Jerry Morgan, Manion's campaign manager, said yesterday that a bill for $5,613 submitted by the Worth company had since been paid. But he declined to say when it was paid - before or after the recent complaint letter. The next deadline for federal candidates to report their financial activities to the FEC is July 15.

In a letter dated June 19, former Riegelsville Mayor Todd Myers, a Republican, called the March 25 fund-raising event to the attention of the FEC. Morgan said the campaign had not seen the letter.

Myers said that the March 25 invitation was sent out in the Worth company's name and that it was evident a Worth employee had worked on the planning.

The FEC verified yesterday that it had received a letter of complaint against Manion. But it said the writer had put down an illegible signature and failed to include an address or phone number. It said it therefore did not consider the complaint valid.

Myers' letter was brought to the attention of The Inquirer by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Myers, in an interview, confirmed he had written it. Asked if any Democratic organization had helped him write it, he replied: "No comment."

"I decided to do something about political reform; you've got to play by the rules," he said. "That is the motivation behind the letter."

Two Worth company executives, in a telephone interview Friday, declined to discuss the March 25 event. Tom Zipfel, the company's general counsel, did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

Morgan, while declining to say when the Worth bill was submitted or paid by the Manion campaign, said: "I don't care when it was; we are in full compliance" with the law.

But federal election law says a corporation may use its employees to work on a fund-raising event only if it gets payment in advance.

If it provides catering or food service, it also must receive advance payment. The March 25 event, Myers said in his complaint, was listed as a champagne reception.