The Art Robinson campaign is denying allegations outlined below that it is out of money and that $75K mysteriously just “went missing” from its accounts. In an email, Andre Provoncha, a Virginia import working for Robinson’s campaign, writes that “funding allegations are completely false.” Provoncha also refused to explain why, if the campaign is solvent, paid canvassers utilizing a mobile app called Ground Game and contracted to work through November 4 were terminated September 21 after just one week without notice. “We don’t comment on the relationship with our vendors,” wrote Provoncha on September 30, before referring me to the company in charge of the canvassing, Flying JPK Enterprises, Inc.

 Flying JPK Enterprises, Inc is a corporation formed in 2010 owned and operated by former state legislator, Jeff Kropf. More recently, Kropf was the chairman of the Oregon chapter of Americans For Prosperity and and he also founded a non profit organization known as Oregon Capitol Watch Foundation along with other small businesses, all of which appear to be run from his residence in Sublimity, Oregon.

According to Guidestar, Oregon Capitol Watch Foundation raised $327,238 for years 2011-2012. During that same period, Kropf paid himself $142K in salary as the executive director.

The use of paid canvassers is not unusual during election season but it wasn’t until late summer that job solicitations to canvas for a US Congressional District 4 candidate offering up to $15/hr including bonuses began that included rural Coos County. The offers were published on Craig’s List and other online sources. In August, during the Coos County Republican Central Committee meeting, the job announcement named Art Robinson as the candidate in question.

magejpeg_2_4Joanna and Matthew Maedche, a young married couple and experienced political activists, however, heard about the job opportunity from another source. Matt Mathis representing a small start up company called Safari Communications, LLC contacted the Maedches and offered to relocate the couple in order to manage the new Robinson team in Coos County. Matt Maedche had just completed a similar campaign run by Safari for another candidate and trusted Mathis. The couple put their belongings into storage, packed a few necessities and along with their four year-old daughter headed to Coos Bay on September 10 with the expectation of starting work immediately.

Things began to unravel the moment they arrived. First, the promised relocation funds were not available after all. Second, the promised 4th District management job had been given to someone else. Maedche would have to settle for being team leader for Coos County. Third, they would be working for Flying JPK rather than Safari and the mileage reimbursement was now less than originally promised. If all that wasn’t enough, the start date was five days later than promised because Breanna Giles, the individual given Maedche’s job, wasn’t prepared. The couple were running out of resources fast and were camping at Bastendorff Beach to save money.

Independent contracts were eventually signed between Flying JPK and four canvassers to cover Coos Bay. The Maedches, Cintia Henry and a one other person who prefers to remain anonymous executed contracts however Giles never returned copies as promised. The only contract copy retained by the team is one in which Giles neglected to take with her. The team was further provided with a script and four Galaxy tablets loaded with the Ground Game software and began canvassing on September 15 along routes designated by Giles.
Neither Mathis or Giles have responded to calls or emails.

The Allegations

Curiously, Mathis continued to liaise with Maedche and Giles and on September 21 contacted Maedche warning him to expect a call from Giles because Flying JPK was losing its contract “due to Art’s irresponsible spending habits.” Giles came to Coos Bay to meet with the couple wanting them to sign an early termination agreement and threatened to withhold payment until the document was signed. Maedche refused to sign and pressed for more information as to why the canvassing was ending after only one week. According to the Maedches, Giles indicated the Robinson campaign was broke and that $75K had gone missing inexplicably, all claims Provoncha denies.

Giles collected the four Galaxy tablets and left all four Coos Bay canvassers jobless and broke although Flying JPK has since made partial payments according to Maedche. The Maedches are now effectively homeless and bunking in with Henry and all four former canvassers are actively looking for jobs.

“I believed in Art and the things he stood for,” remarked Matt Maedche during an interview. “But Art left us high and dry.”

The Curious Details

It might be easy enough to dismiss the Robinson camp’s responsibility in this matter as simply a case of a naive young couple taking too much on faith or being duped by an overeager Mathis or working for an under capitalized company, except for the curious way the campaign has responded.

Upon hearing of this story and after obtaining documents, text messages and copies of emails supporting the plight of the canvassers I emailed the Robinson campaign on September 26th and explained that “I would like to confirm whether the Robinson campaign contracted directly or indirectly with the firm Flying JPK.” The next morning I received a phone call from Andre Provoncha telling me they were working on my request and would have an answer for me by Monday afternoon. When I hadn’t heard anything by 4:30 on Monday, I called Provoncha who now claimed that it was not the policy of the campaign to “comment on the relationship with our vendors.” Only after I pressed him for several minutes and pointed out it was a matter of public record did he concede that Art Robinson for Congress had a contractual relationship with Flying JPK Enterprises. A couple of hours later I received a clarification email from Provoncha.

“Flying JPK was contracted with the Art Robinson campaign to provide canvassing services until their contract was recently concluded. To our knowledge, all of the canvassers were paid upon completion of work.

Funding allegations are completely false.”

In addition to contacting the campaign I left a message for Jeff Kropf. Kropf did not return my call but on Tuesday, September 30 Kropf emailed me at an address he must have obtained from Provoncha.

Flying JPK was contracted with the Art Robinson campaign to provide canvassing services until our contract was recently concluded. All of our canvassers were immediately paid in full upon completion of our effort and all checks were processed by our bank with the exception of one check which was sent in the mail and has not been cashed. We are verifying the address of that particular contractor to make certain we sent it to the correct address. We have not been contacted by anyone regarding non-payment, so any allegation of such is completely and factually false.

Kropf also volunteered information about Mathis.

Safari Communications is in no way associated with Flying JPK Enterprises Inc. Matt Mathis was a contractor with Flying JPK just like other contractors whose contracts ended when Flying JPK’s contract was concluded with the Robinson campaign. It is my understanding that Matt has formalized his own separate endeavors with Safari, but that was not related to or in any way part of the Flying JPK effort for the Robinson campaign. Again any allegation to the contrary is false and probably from someone misinformed.

Kropf claims no affiliation to Matt Mathis beyond independent contracts, however, a phone number still used by Mathis two days ago and a voice mail answered by “Lt Matt Mathis” is associated via a Facebook page with a site called Project Liberty, bearing the following “© Copyright 2013 Oregon Capitol Watch Foundation. All rights reserved. 1/1/2014”

Provoncha has refused to explain why the Flying JPK contract concluded six weeks early citing the same, “Again we don’t comment on the relationship with our vendors.” Still, Provoncha’s response implies that the reason for the early termination has to do with its apparently close “relationship” with Flying JPK and ignores the obvious question of whether the campaign ran out of funds to complete the canvassing.

As to the actual financial health of Robinson’s campaign, we will have to wait until October 15 to review federal reporting but all indications seem to support the Maedche’s understanding that the campaign is seriously short on funds.

Meanwhile, the canvassers have put up a GoFundMe page to try and recoup some of their losses and pay this months rent. Please help by clicking here