A group of high-powered attorneys on Monday sprang to the defense of Dr. Keiffer Mitchell Sr., father of mayoral candidate City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell Jr., who has been accused of misusing his son?s mayoral campaign funds.
“Campaign finance law gives the treasurer absolute discretion over campaign spending, as long as it is made solely for the benefit of the Mitchell campaign,” said Baltimore attorney Billy Murphy Jr., who was joined by attorneys Larry Gibson and A. Dwight Pettit at a news conference on Monday. “He has done nothing wrong.”
At issue is $40,000 of campaign funds spent by Dr. Mitchell in his capacity as treasurer of Councilman Keiffer Mitchell Jr.?s campaign.
On Friday, Dr. Mitchell resigned his post after the campaign released a statement questioning expenditures he made, including $14,000 for a hotel room for his wife in Towson and $19,000 in checks wrote out to cash.
But Murphy took issue with the characterization of his client?s spending as improper.
“Keiffer Mitchell [Jr.] agrees that every expenditure was for the benefit of the campaign,” he said.
The hotel rented for Dr. Mitchell?s wife was used for fundraising, Murphy said.
“There was extensive campaign activity going on at the hotel room, including fundraising,” he said. Murphy also said writing checks for cash was perfectly proper and not illegal, but declined to give details about how the money was used.
However, Murphy did take issue with the release of financial information before the Aug. 14 reporting deadline.
“What is unusual here is that the campaign brought it to the public?s attention; that almost never happens,” he said.
The Mitchell campaign declined to comment on Murphy?s assertions or provide details about the hotel stay, but at a news conference earlier in the day, the candidate said the disclosures would not affect his campaign.
“Our campaign moves forward,” Mitchell said. “We?re putting the report together right now and we?ve hired a certified public accountant.”
Later, Mitchell campaign officials released a statement.
“My father has paid the campaign back, which the campaign believes was appropriate,” Mitchell said.
However, veteran city campaign advisor Larry Gibson said his review of the records indicates Dr. Mitchell may be owed at least part of the $40,000 he paid back to the campaign.
“We believe there are several thousand dollars that the campaign will be paying him back,” he said.
