Democrats file complaint following Kennealy contributions report

BOSTON (SHNS) - A top official at the state Democratic Party complained to campaign finance regulators after Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy appeared to collect thousands of dollars in donations above the allowable limit.

The same day the Boston Herald reported that Kennealy collected several contributions in April that surpassed the $1,000 per year maximum amount for an individual, MassDems Executive Director Adam Roof penned a formal complaint to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance recounting the allegations.

Kennealy's latest monthly campaign finance report listed nine donations of $2,000, twice the allowable limit for an individual donor, and more than three dozen others totaling $1,041.02 each.

The Herald reported that the Kennealy campaign attributed some of the excess donations to donors covering credit card fees in addition to $1,000 contributions, and a few instances of married couples donating with a single combined payment.

MassDems complaint to OCPF about Kennealy fundraising

"While Mr. Kennealy's campaign has attributed the overages to donor-covered credit card processing fees and to joint spousal contributions made in a single transaction, this does not negate the legal requirement to monitor, reject, or promptly refund contributions that exceed the statutory limit," Roof wrote to OCPF. "While the more than 50 violations as identified by their own records are inexcusable, we are also concerned that the solicitation materials and their pattern of practice used made specific requests of donors to cover processing fees, which would constitute additional violations."

Kennealy spokesperson Logan Trupiano said Wednesday the campaign is "actively refunding any excess donations" and in communication with regulators to ensure compliance, adding that "overages are a common occurrence on political campaigns."

OCPF does not confirm nor deny the existence of any complaints or investigations into individual candidates.

Jason Tait, a spokesperson for the office, said if regulators are made aware of a candidate collecting donations in excess of allowable limits, OCPF's audit department would send a letter to the campaign asking for clarification.

"If it's an excess contribution, the excesses are returned to the donors," Tait said. "In cases where it's not an excess, but was misreported, the campaign finance report is amended."

As of Wednesday afternoon, OCPF had only sent one audit letter to Kennealy's campaign: an April 7 correspondence pointing out that, at the time, the campaign had not yet filed a form appointing a depository bank for raising funds.

"The fact that the MassDems are trying to manufacture outrage over this routine matter only underscores one thing: they know Maura Healey is politically vulnerable and are desperate to distract from her failures," Trupiano said in a statement.

Kennealy, a Lexington resident who served as housing and economic development secretary under Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, formally launched his campaign for governor one month ago.

He reported raising about $311,000 in April, most of it from $200,000 that Kennealy loaned his own campaign.

Several other Republicans are reportedly weighing bids of their own. Healey plans to seek reelection in 2026.