A former Charlotte city councilman who’s running for his old At-Large seat again is also asking for voters’ forgiveness for making almost 3 years worth of mistakes.
James “Smuggie” Mitchell has failed to file his campaign finance reports with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections Office for almost three years. The last campaign finance report filed by Mitchell was in July of 2019.
So he has gone almost three years not reporting any information surrounding his campaign donors, how much money is in his account, and where he’s spending it.
Mitchell spent almost twenty years on the Charlotte City Council, representing district two, and later as an At-Large Member. But last year Mitchell resigned due to a conflict of interest when he got a job as the CEO of a construction company that did business with the City. He stepped down from R.J. Leeper Construction last summer and decided to run for his old At-Large seat on the Council. Dr.Wilhelmenia Rembert takes over for Ella Scarborough on Mecklenburg County Commission
But even when Mitchell was a sitting member on the Council, he wasn’t filing his campaign’s financial reports. For a veteran politician, that’s a pretty big requirement to overlook.
Queen City News Chief Political Correspondent Emma Withrow spoke to Mitchell on the phone, on Thursday, and asked him why he failed to report his campaign’s finances for so long.
This was an overlook that can result in thousands of dollars in fines from the State Board of Elections Office, and public mistrust for not disclosing where your campaign money came from and what you’re spending it on. Filing this paperwork isn’t an option, it’s required by law if you’re running for office.
“The longer you go, the more you’re fined,” said Kristin Mavromatis, PIO Manager for the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.New Charlotte At-Large seat candidate gaining traction for his unique platform
Mavromatis said their office has flagged Mitchell’s lack of reporting for years now and has sent these missed filings to the State BOE.
“He’s just numerous reports behind because he’s obviously hasn’t filed anything in two years,” Mavromatis said.
Withrow asked Mavromatis: “Is there any record of how much money he has in his account? Or who’s donated to him?”
“No cause he hasn’t filed the reports. That’s what the reports are for. So we know nothing,” Mavromatis answered.
Withrow reached out to the State Board of Elections Office to find out how much Mitchell owes, and whether or not there will be an investigation done, they did not immediately respond.
