Upon deeper searching of John Curtis’ financial disclosures, some interesting names popped up that I did not recognize. The names Bill and James Provencher and Patrick Tovey showed up on Curtis’ financials; no public records linked these individuals to Provo or even the State of Utah, for that matter. Yet they are playing an important financial role in Curtis’ campaign for Mayor, as he gained $15,000 total ($5,000 from each) for his campaign. But if they are not from Provo or Utah, where are they from? For your answer try looking towards Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
These three unknown individual run a business known as Carey’s Range Ventilation [1], and deem themselves as “indoor [shooting] range specialists.” [2] The question I have is actually quite simple: how does Mr. Curtis know these individuals and why are they donating such high amounts of money for a mayoral campaign which is not home to their business? Why is John Curtis seeking financial assistance outside of the realm of Provo AND the State of Utah? And why would people in a city notorious for underhanded politics be interesting in our community?
Maybe I could just be overreacting? On Carey’s website, they have a section dedicated to a partnership between this business and Curtis’ business, Action Target, since 2003. [3] Action Target brings the shooting range equipment while Carey’s brings the necessary ventilation equipment. And since they are partners, why not hand over $15,000 as a goodwill gesture towards a business partner, right? Yet the question has yet to be answered where this money was spent on Curtis’ campaign, and the money trail, as it always does, tells a more sinister story worthy of the title Chicago Politics.
Coupled with Carey’s donation of $15,000 and Action Target’s donations of $12,500 ($2,500 from the corporation; $5,000 each from Kyle Bateman and Addison Sovine), making a grand total of $27,500. In the previous article I talked about how Curtis is directly tied to notorious smear campaigns rampant throughout the Provo elections, and these monies show an interesting balance. Curtis’ campaign spent $27,437 on political campaign strategists; individuals like BCR Political, Randy Minson, Nate Rathbun, Orange Soda, and Complete Campaigns. Curtis has tried to sell to the people of Provo that he is running a grassroots campaign, but the money is telling a different story. John Curtis is not opposed to seeking the financial and political backing of individuals outside of Provo and Utah; people and businesses who do not understand our culture, traditions, government, or society. Look at what out-of-state speculators have done to our real estate market and neighborhoods; can you imagine what out-of-state politicians, strategists, and financial backers will do to our community?
As the money trail continues to grow and points towards shadowy figures, organizations, and causes, more and more people in Provo are starting to question whether John Curtis actually has the right path for Provo. Is Mr. Curtis concerned about the individual citizens of our community; their opinions and dreams; and their desires for the future? Or is Mr. Curtis going to throw aside the citizens of Provo in order to compensate those who financed his campaign into the most powerful political office in Utah County? If Mr. Curtis is elected mayor and you see special interests beginning to rule the community, you only have yourself to blame. The facts are before you, because Mr. Curtis certainly will not give you the whole truth.
[1] http://www.careyscentral.com/home.html
[2] http://www.careyscentral.com/home.html
[3] http://www.careyscentral.com/home.html
