Tulsa Beacon
Political campaigns are becoming more expensive and that is demonstrated with reported fees paid to a top Republican consulting firm.
According to records filed by candidates in June with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, A.H. Strategies and a sister firm, Majority Designs, has been paid more than $548,267 (see chart) for consulting services, postage, mailing and other related campaign expenses.
That includes some high-profile candidates as customers, including former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon who lost his bid for the U.S. Senate. Oklahoma school superintendent candidate Joy Hofmeister used that firm and won her GOP primary, as did U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Tulsa County Commissioner John Smaligo and political newcomer Michael Rogers in State House District 98 in Broken Arrow. Fred Jordan, also a client, came in second in the race for Tulsa County District Attorney. (It does not include work the firms performed for Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett in his successful campaign.)
Fount Holland started A.H. Strategies in 1977 in Muskogee. He was press secretary for then-U.S. Rep. Tom Coburn from 1994 to 1997. He was a reporter for the liberal Tulsa World for six years.
Holland and Trebor Worthen are partners in Majority Designs. They have three listed employees, an art director and two associates.
Worthen is a former member of the Oklahoma Legislature and political director of the Oklahoma Republican Party. He was creative director and senior associate at A.H. Strategies.
Karl Ahlgren, a co-founder of A.H. Strategies, now is chief of staff for Mullin. Ahlgren is a former aide to Coburn and a former field director to former U.S. Sen. Don Nickles.
According to a filing with the Federal Election Commission, the campaign of U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin has spent $13,359 with A.H. Strategies in 2014 and thousands more previously. That campaign spent thousands with Majority Designs in 2013.
Mullin also spent $16,135 with Grand Valley Consulting of Alexandria, Virginia, for fundraising consulting in 2014.
In a report filed on March 31, Friends of T.W. Shannon 2014 reported a year-to-date total of $84,583,05 to A.H. Strategies for consulting, postage, print design and other services. They also reported a total of $36,525.88 to Connect Strategic Communications of Atlanta, Georgia, for “voter outreach.” Majority Designs got $15,823 for campaign material plus printing.
The Shannon campaign also paid CLP Consulting of Oklahoma City $14,077 for consulting and CMA Strategies $7,500. Miller Spence Group LLC of Arlington, Virginia got $2,000 for fundrasing consulting. The Shannon campaign reported spending $174,300 with Strategic Media Placement in Delaware for media buys.
The James Lankford campaign for the U.S. Senate paid Harden Global LLC of Alexandria, Virginia, $51,558 for communications consulting and Harris Media of Austin, Texas, $4,500 for advertising. Red Maverick Media LLC of Harrisburg was paid $22,500 for marketing and communications.
Friends of Fred Jordan 2014 reported year-to-date payments of $38,092.81 to Majority Designs. Jordan’s campaign paid A.H. Strategies $28,036.85 for “campaign management.” Jordan also paid $130,000 to Strategic Media Placement, Inc. of Delaware, Ohio.
Acccording to a report filed June 9, Friends of Melissa Abdo spent $22,926.16 with Majority Designs, 4020 N. Lincoln Blvd., #100, Oklahoma City, for mailers/postage.
State Rep. Weldon Watson (Friends of Weldon Watson) on June 9 reported paying Majority Designs $12,599.01 in 2014.
Senate Majority Leader Brian Bingman of Sapulpa paid A.H. Strategies $15,733.58 this year plus $7,128.51 to Majority Designs.
Smaligo paid A.H. Strategies $4,000 this year, as reported on June 9.
Friends of Michael Rogers 2014 reported spending $8,000 with A.H. Strategies for consulting and Majority Designs $7,658.83 for “mail.” His opponent, Terry Cleveland, reported paying Valeska Littlefield $2,000 for consultation.
Hofmeister on June 9 reported spending $16,804.16 (year to date) with Majority Designs. She spent $325,000 with Strategic Media Placement of Delaware, Ohio. On March 31, Hofmeister reported paying A.H. Strategies $44,042 during the year up to that date for consulting fees.
School Superintendent Janet Barresi (Friends of Janet Barresi 2014) paid Anthem Media of Austin, Texas, $1,091,224 for media placement and production. The campaign paid CMA Strategies $26,649 this year for campaign consultation plus Jennifer Carter $37,585 (year to date).
Gov. Mary Fallin (Mary Fallin for Governor 2014) paid CMA Strategies $348,575.58 in a year-to-date figure filed June 9. She also paid Cardinal Insights of Austin, Texas, $10,010 for consulting. Red October Productions of Arnold, Maryland, got paid $49,169.27 for a television shoot in May and Mentzer Media Service, Inc. of Towson, Maryland, was paid $266,950 for media advertising. New Strategies Group of Houston, Texas, was paid $112,003.15 this year for campaign consulting.
And Fallin’s campaign paid Hockaday And Associations LLC of Newport, Rhode Island, $178,857 for online consulting and management.
Fallin’s campaign paid the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation $551 for “research” on May 30.
Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb has paid CMA Strategies of Oklahoma City $8,582.93 for consulting services.
On June 9, (Cliff) Branan for Oklahoma – 2014 reported paying SRCP Media of Alexandria, Virgina, $251,445 for “media buys.” It also paid Seth Rott $4,000 for consulting services.
Some of the payments to A.H. Strategies
Total – $272,429
$84,583 T.W. Shannon (U.S. Senate)
$44,042 Joy Hofmeister (School Superintendent)
$28,036 Fred Jordan (Tulsa County DA)
$25,000 Brian Winslow (Oklahoma City) Senate District 40
$19,912 Jason Smalley (Stroud) Senate District 28
$15,733 Brian Bingman (Sapulpa) Senate District 12
$13,359 Markwayne Mullin (U.S. Congress)
$12,599 Weldon Watson (Tulsa) House District 79
$10,000 Greg Childers (Del City) Senate District 42
$8,000 Michael Rogers (Broken Arrow) House District 98
$7,000 Stephanie Bice (Oklahoma City) Senate District 22
$6,000 A.J. Griffin (Guthrie) Senate District 20
$4,500 Scott Hayes (Elgin) House District 65
$4,165 Frank Simpson (Ardmore) Senate District 14
$4,000 John Smaligo (Tulsa County Commissioner)
$3,000 Judge Sheila A. Condren (Claremore)
$3,000 Angela Marsee (Weatherford) District Attorney
$1,000 Judge Don Andrews (Oklahoma City)
$1,000 John Pfeiffer (Mulhall) House District 38
Some of the payments to Majority Designs
Total – $275,838
$66,671 Brian Winslow (Oklahoma City) Senate District 40
$38,092 Fred Jordan (Tulsa County DA)
$25,786 A.J. Griffin 2014 (Guthrie) Senate District 20
$22,926. Melissa Abdo (Tulsa) House District 69
$16,804 Joy Hofmeister (State School Superintendent)
$15,931 Greg Childers (Del City) Senate District 42
$15,823 T.W. Shannon (U.S. Senate)
$15,521 John Pfeiffer (Mulhall) House District 38
$12,599 Weldon Watson (Tulsa) House District 79
$10,399 Stephanie Bice 2014 (Oklahoma City) Senate District 22
$10,125 Scott Hayes (Elgin) House District 65
$7,128 Brian Bingman (Sapulpa) Senate District 12
$3,921 Judge Don Andrews (Oklahoma City)
$3,112 Angela Marsee 2014 (Weatherford) District Attorney
Total for both companies – $548,267.00
Source: Oklahoma Ethics Commission for year-to-date candidate expenditures for 2014.
