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The Finance Director for the Oklahoma Republican party, Darren Gantz; reports strong fiscal numbers in Chairman John Bennett's first 4 months.
Darren Gantz has taken on the financial duties of the OKGOP since shortly after the April 10th State Convention. He has watched as party supporters responded to the new chairman with a new and broader base of support from primarily 'Trump Republicans" Gantz says that as of this moment, all bills are paid, and at least $30,000 of old debt from the previous administration were paid up. According to Federal and state oversight agencies, the David McLain OKGOP administration(2019-2021) relied heavily on US Senator James Lankford for the party funding. One source said that about $108,000 of party funding came from Lankford's senatorial campaign & personal support. But since April 10th Lankford is not found in any list of party contributors. Evidently, Congressmen Markwayne Mullins & Tom Cole are currently the only members of Oklahoma's Republican DC delegation that are helping the Oklahoma State Republican Party. |
OKGOP Finance Chair, Darren Gantz, says his most challenging work came before he was confirmed by the State Committee.
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Darren Gantz, on the Set of www.FreshBlack.coffee, with Eddie Huff & David Van Risseghem
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Gantz appeared on the weekly podcast of Fresh Black Coffee, with Eddie Huff & David Van Risseghem. In his report, Gantz details on how entirely new people are stepping up to help fund the party through monthly recurring contributions. Some are simply joining the 'Minuteman Club' for $8.25/mo. But others are giving as much as the maximum legal limit of $5000 as an annual gift.
Some others have donated in-kind gifts related to headquarters operational services or repairing/replacing office equipment. Al Gerhart reports that he put out notices for several needs at the headquarters this past spring. He says that major donations from his respondents amounted to about $12,000. Gerhart says that Trump has connected with ordinary Oklahomans in a way that few national political figures ever do. He credits Trump for transforming the OKGOP. |
Gantz explained that when he first agreed to handle party finances for the state GOP, he was consumed with just getting all the records of assets and liabilities. Many of the records were not delivered to him until July. But Gantz was able to get most of what he needed from other sources when Mike McCutchin(former party treasurer) and former chairman David McLain failed to provide full reports. Gantz eventually helped the party find a new treasurer, Joe Hart.
Now Gantz is focusing on party fundraising and leaving the bookwork to Hart and others. But Gantz says that he and Bennett also instituted another major reform which has also brought austerity to the OKGOP. "No one in the party is getting paid a salary." That's true of the chairman and all the state party officials. It's also true of the staffing at the OKGOP state headquarters at the Dewey Bartlett Center near the state capitol.
By diversifying the funding of the party, no single financier is able to control the messaging or policies for the party. This allows the party to operate in a position of neutrality during the rigorous process of primary elections (when the party is required to treat all incumbents and challengers equally).
Now Gantz is focusing on party fundraising and leaving the bookwork to Hart and others. But Gantz says that he and Bennett also instituted another major reform which has also brought austerity to the OKGOP. "No one in the party is getting paid a salary." That's true of the chairman and all the state party officials. It's also true of the staffing at the OKGOP state headquarters at the Dewey Bartlett Center near the state capitol.
By diversifying the funding of the party, no single financier is able to control the messaging or policies for the party. This allows the party to operate in a position of neutrality during the rigorous process of primary elections (when the party is required to treat all incumbents and challengers equally).
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Gantz says that the Bennett administration has cut the monthly operational budget from the $18,000 per month of 2020, to less than $6000 during the summer of 2021.
A large fundraising event is in the works for this fall, and it's hoped that perhaps $100,000 can be raised from a successful gala. But according to financial records, the most recent gala, held the weekend of the last state convention was not a success, even though it was sold out. In fact, despite nearly doubling the convention delegate fees, the April 10th state convention events netted the party a $2000 deficit. Darren Gantz went into greater detail in his interview on www.FreshBlack.coffee , due to be released early Sunday Morning. |
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