In a very positive development, Erie County Legislator Greg Olma has agreed to forward kernwatch.com a copy of the mailing sent out December 2000, inviting people to donate to his "legal defense fund" fundraiser. while Olma is still sticking to his "my campaign money is none of your business" stance, this is a positive development. We'll post the invitation as soon as it's received.

Greg:

thanks for your reply about your legal defense fund.

it's unfortunate that you chose to suggest these questions are personal, or to further suggest that i'm somehow missing medication and therefor off kilter......there is no need to get personal. as you yourself said to me just a few days ago, i could get more success with honey than vinegar, or some such oft-used quote. you are a public official. i'm trying to track down information for my website. nothing more.

in trying to be fair and report on the defense fund, i hadn't taken into account that you might keep the money personally. i'm not that versed in campaign finance, but i'm going to be by the end of this campaign season! so that i can follow the facts to a conclusion, and stop reporting on this, could you please send me a copy of the mailing you sent out to people inviting them to your legal defense fund fundraiser? that would be something that would be great to post next to the explanation that the money was going into your personal family account
and not into any political account. and you're right, i have no desire to see your personal finances - some things should be private i imagine, even for public officials. to put an end to this story let's post the invitation to the event and your explanation that the money went into you and your families personal account, and not your campaign account. that would probably bring closure to the legal defense fund questions, at least the question i have....

thanks again for your reply's......

DK

Dick:

I will mail you an invite.

You would have recieved one last December.

I did not keep the money. The minor amount that remains is in an account under my ssn and I must pay taxes.

There is no story here, except that of the false accusations of those women.

If I am dealing with Parlato then why did I circulate petitions for the Independence line against his faction?

Greg

greg: thanks a ton for mailing me a copy of the invitation......it will be very helpful.... while i never imagine you "kept" the money, i am trying to educate myself and my readers on campaign finances....it's a national interest right now, and certainly a local interest as well......i have no thought that you kept the money for personal use....at the same time, i'm trying to show readers how money is raised and spent in political campaigns....it's why i spent my own money to get copies of masiello's financial disclosure forms, as well as yours, flemings and grays......it's all a process to help people understand the system.....it's not personal, but you happen to be a public official and happen to be the only person in all of WNY with a legal defense fund (orcase unique and worthy of review......nothing more, nothing less...... thanks again in advance for the copy of the invitation (insert your mailing address here) and, if you really wanted to, for changing your view that "my campaign finances are none of your business" and perhaps reporting money raised and money spent from this "meager" legal defense fund, even if it is in some personal account that you must report as taxable income.....which does seem weird that you'd accept taxable income when it could be avoided....but whatever..... thanks greg... DK.....