Republican donors fueled school board candidates’ PAC
Published 11:40 am Saturday, May 15, 2021
A slate of conservative candidates running for the Bend-LaPine School District board received the bulk of their contributions from past donors to Republican causes.
United 4 Education was created on April 1, according to records at the Oregon Secretary of State’s office. Two of the three people listed as affiliated with the PAC are veterans of fundraising for dozens of Republican candidates and causes.
Backing a conservative slate of candidates in the Bend-LaPine School District Race, the effort is funded by money contributed by people and businesses to United 4 Education PAC.
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/cneSearch.do?cneSearchButtonName=search&cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=21371&OWASP_CSRFTOKEN=Y8KZ-EJCZ-YTHP-JPTH-7G2O-M5L5-R0KU-4OGQ
The PAC is then buying ads, fliers and other items that it reports as “in kind” contributions as a way to shield who is giving and who they are paying.
On it’s official filings, United 4 Education showed all of its contributions were “in-kind,” a common financing of campaigns in which an outside group creates, produces, and distributes materials for candidates rather than making a direct cash contribution.
As of May 12, United 4 Education has raised $77,500.00 and spent $80,502.08. Its “ending cash balance” was listed a loss of just over $3,000.
The largest contributions to the PAC are:
—$20,000 from Roger Langeliers, who is listed as “Owner-Langeliers Construction” in Bend. The Secretary of State shows Langeliers has contributed to the Republican governor candidates Chris Dudley in 2010 and Knute Buehler in 2018.
—$15,000 from the Dauenhauer Living Trust in Bend. Maria Dauenhauer is one of the school board candidates. State records show Dennis Dauenhauer has contributed $27,601.39 to Friends of Marie Dauenhauer. Smaller contributions were made to other school board candidates: John Haffner and Wendy Imel. Dennis Dauenhauer contributed to Buehler’s 2018 campaign for governor, as well as political action committees opposing taxes in 2009 and 2006.
There are several contributions of between $4,000 and $5,000 from construction company owner John Weisner, Hayden Homes owner Hayden Watson and Homebuilder Daniel Pahlisch.
Records show the contributors with substantial past contributions to Republicans in the past.
Pahlisch contributed $55,000 to Buehler’s 2018 campaign and has contributed to PACs for Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend and others.
Among others on the campaign finance statement shows a contribution from The Loft, which is a private club that is owned and operated by former State Rep. Cheri Helt , R-Bend, who also owns Zydeco Kitchen.
United 4 Education’s largest expenditures have been to a total of $48,383.32 paid to Max Marketing of Bend, for “Broadcast Advertising (radio, tv).“
The PAC paid $11,992.99 to Xpress Printing of Sisters for “Literature, Brochures, Printing.”
In creating the political action committee, the Secretary of State requires organizers have to include a statement on the “nature of the committee.”
For United 4 Education, the statement said:
“To support candidates and policies that advance the values and lessons of American liberty, history, exceptionalism, and foundational curriculum in education, while defending freedom of speech and improving academic results & performance for all.”
The April 1 filing creating the committee required a listing for the Secretary of State of “Persons Associated with the Committee.” The filing named:
Andrea Davidson as director
Alayna Weimer as treasurer.
Maddie Viens is listed as the sole “alternative transaction filer,” a position that allows her to make financial transactions for the PAC in addition to Weiner.
The Secretary of State’s Elections Division website lists her current role as director of United 4 Education as her only tie to a current or past political action committee.
The same state campaign information shows Weimer and Viens as active in a wide variety of Republican and conservative candidate and political action committee efforts.
On the Secretary of State website, Weimer is listed as the treasurer or officer for 28 other political action committees that have been registered with the Secretary of State’s office. They include GOP groups and candidates, including Tony DeBone, Knute Buehler, Cheri Helt, Jack Zika and conservative organizations such as Equal Rights Oregon (controlled by Tim Knopp), etc.
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/CommitteeSearchFirstPage.do
The same website shows Viens listed as an officer or treasurer with 17 current or former political action committees, including several of the same efforts as Weimer.
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/CommitteeSearchFirstPage.do
A People on the Move” article from March 9, 2019 says “Maddie Viens is a new broker at John L. Scott Real Estate in Bend. She previously worked as a bookkeeper.”
Weimer and Viens have email via ingnitepositivechanges.com, a business services company that can act as a kind of electronic PO Box.
Both list their address as the NW 6th Street commercial buildings.
Weimer is listed as the operator of Ignite Positive Changes on its website. In the “About” section, it says she and her husband own the Herringbone Book Store in Redmond.
The largest expenditure of funds outside of Central Oregon is at least three payments totalling $13,596 to Cutter Consulting, a Colorado Springs, Colo. -based firm run by Jack and Sara Cutter.
The firm’s website says Jack Cutter had worked for the Colorado Republican Party where he was “instrumental in flipping the Colorado State Senate to a Republican majority in 2014.” He then worked on a “contentious” primary race for State Sen. Jim Smallwood and also worked on Republican State Senate election efforts to maintain the GOP majority in 2016.
Jack saw a need for digital strategies on campaigns and developed an approach that was proven successful after working on a contentious primary race for now State Senator Jim Smallwood and on key races to maintain a Republican Senate majority in 2016.
Jack Cutter “managed statewide campaigns in both Colorado and Montana including: George Brauchler for Attorney General and Tim Fox for Governor in Montana.”
The website says Sara Cutter is the principal designer for the consulting firm. The firm managed three races for district attorney.
“Jack and Sara’s experience has been proven to be invaluable in an ever-changing political environment,” the website said.
In the filing creating the committee, United 4 Education lists its “Office or Filer Description Party Affiliation” – as “miscellaneous.”
However, the PAC has only raised and spent money on the Bend-LaPine School Board elections to date.
United 4 Education’s “Committee ID” is 21371 in the Secretary of State Elections Division Database.
The campaign finance statement shows a contribution from The Loft, which is a private club that is owned and operated by former State Rep. Cheri Helt , R-Bend, who also owns Zydeco Kitchen. Oregon state law allows businesses as well as individuals to contribute to campaigns, so while not illegal, the listing shields Helt from a direct tie to the campaign.
Top contributor is Roger Langeliers, a Bend construction exec who have given money in past to Buehler’s governor’s race.
The campaign director is listed as Andrea Davidson.
The treasurer is Alayna Weimer.
The “alternate campaign filer” – basically someone the PAC says can do transactions in its name along with the treasurer and director is Maddie Viens.
Weimer and Viens have email via ingnitepositivechanges.com, a business services company that can act as a kind of electronic PO Box.
Both list their address as the NW 6th Street commercial buildings.
Weimer is listed as the operator of Ignite Positive Changes on its website. In the “About” section, it says she and her husband own the Herringbone Book Store in Redmond.
A short article in the Bulletin “People on the Move” from March 9, 2019, says “Maddie Viens is a new broker at John L. Scott Real Estate in Bend. She previously worked as a bookkeeper.”
On the Secretary of State website she is listed as the treasurer for a number of GOP groups and candidates, including Tony DeBone, Knute Buehler, Cheri Helt, Jack Zika and conservative organizations such as Equal Rights Oregon (a PAC that lists it is controlled by Sen. Tim Knopp,R-Bend.
The only address given for the PAC or its officers is 226 NW 6th in Redmond, a commercial building that was once the building housing the Redmond Spokesman.
The newspaper is published by the Central Oregon Media Group, which includes the Bulletin. However, the building was sold at the time of the dissolution of assents of Western Communications, the newspaper and television chain that sold or release most of its real estate accents during bankruptcy.
Weimer and Viens are also associated with the Cascade Coalition PAC, which was registered with the Secretary of State on the same day (April 1) as United 4 Education.
It lists no specific candidate or race it has been formed for and reports no assets and spending in its report.
It is required, as with all PACs, to list a “nature of committee.” It’s response is: “Support Measures and Candidates for Healthy Communities.”
Oregon Capital Bureau reporter Gary A. Warner contributed to this story.
