Ackley To Plaskett: ‘Those Who Live In Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones’

ST. CROIX — Following an Federal Election Commission complaint filing on Monday by Stacey Plaskett against delegate to Congress candidate Ronald Russell, after Mr. Russell failed to register contributions exceeding $5,000, it was revealed that the sitting delegate has had some F.E.C. problems of her own.

For Mr. Russell’s part, the failure to register campaign funds, as well as other requirements on time was an “oversight.” “We called the F.E.C. today and guaranteed we would file and register any reports due within 48 hours,” reads a press release Mr. Russell’s campaign issued late Monday.

Ms. Plaskett’s campaign nonetheless assailed Mr. Russell for the mishap, stating that while he touts his experience in the practice of law, a former four-term senator and, according to the release, a self-proclaimed former counsel of the Virgin Islands Democratic Party, the federal oversight is, at best, “a flagrant violation of federal campaign finance law and regulation.”

“For someone who claims to be such an expert at the federal level, it is nothing less than shocking, that Mr. Russel would blatantly, and willfully, ignore the laws required by an individual and his campaign to be a federal candidate, therefore the complaint had to be filed and we requested that the Federal Election Commission fully investigate these actions and include a full accounting of all contributions received and expenditures made, the Voters of the Virgin Islands deserve noting less,” said Conrad E. Francois II, territorial campaign manager for Virgin Islands for Plaskett.

Early Tuesday, however, not Mr. Russell, but Republican delegate to Congress candidate Gordon Ackley, lampooned Ms. Plaskett, paitning her as a hypocrite, and stating that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

“Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” Mr. Ackley wrote. “Congresswoman Plaskett has repeatedly violated federal campaign finance laws, resulting in thousands of dollars in fines from the bipartisan Federal Election Commission. Not only has Congresswoman Plaskett failed to get the Postal Service to issue a Virgin Islands stamp for the 100th Transfer Day, but she has failed to follow basic campaign finance requirements of running for office.”

Mr. Ackley listed a myriad of fines levied by the F.E.C. against Ms. Plaskett’s campaign, including amounts of $1,000 on Sept. 18, 2015, $1,000 on Sept. 29, 2015, $2,000 on May 27, 2015, $1,750 on Oct. 1, 2014, and $250 on Sept. 11, 2013.

The F.E.C. says the fines were associated with late campaign disclosures by the Plaskett Campaign. To date, Ms. Plaskett has received a total of $228,627 in contributions — $129,580 itemized individual contributions, $90,599 from “other committees distributions”, and $8,446 “unitemized individual contributions — according to the F.E.C.

A request for response placed to Richard Motta this morning, Ms. Plaskett’s press secretary, was not immediately returned.

Later on Tuesday, Mr. Russell’s campaign issued a statement relative to Ms. Plaskett’s complaint stating that she was attempting to distract the electorate from the real issues. The release also questioned her character based on alleged failure to take ownership for her own mistakes.

“The list of political candidates who have missed filings is long, and I can point fingers about accidental oversights, and professional and personal missteps by the opposition, but I won’t do that,” said Mr. Russell in the release.

He added: “I stand in my own truth. I’m not proud that I didn’t file on time, and deeply regret the occurrence, but there is a key difference that we need to watch very closely. I did not go down the path of trying to explain or justify wrong behavior. The second I learned, I owned up to my mistake, was open and honest about what happened, and communicated the steps I am taking to fix it, with both the F.E.C. and Virgin Islanders. Ownership of mistakes and specific steps to immediately resolve them is what leaders do, and is exactly what I did. The truth matters.”

The territory’s primary election happens this Saturday.