ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 5, 1997 TAG: 9701060114
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
WHEN RICHARD CRANWELL disclosed his legal work for Trigon in 1995, he did just what the law required: He checked off the box indicating he was paid more than $10,000 - legislators are not required to be more specific. Several months later, Trigon revealed the magnitude of its payment to his law firm: $385,560.
LEGISLATORS ARE ALLOTTED $9,000 a year for office expenses, but don't have to disclose how it is spent. They also may use campaign contributions for their legislative offices, but no audits are done to see that those funds are not diverted for personal use. Some lawmakers mix those funds with their personal or business funds.
In Suffolk, Republican Del. Robert Nelms uses campaign funds to help pay the mortgage on a building he owns. In Lynchburg, Republican Sen. Steve Newman runs three ventures - Senate office, campaign headquarters and personal business - out of a single office. Newman also transferred $11,485 in campaign contributions last year to what his campaign finance report described as the "Steve Newman Office Fund."
CANDIDATES ARE SUPPOSED to provide the "name of employer or principal business" of contributors of more than $100, but in practice they often provide only sketchy information.
Then-Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke, used typically vague terms in 1995 when he identified contributor D.J. Cooper as a "self-employed" man from Roanoke County. In fact, Cooper owned a Bedford County trailer park cited by state regulators for contaminated well water.
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Cranwell, Newman, Bellby CNB