AFT’s AstroTurf Adventure Union Spent $370k on OPSB Races, But Zero In NOLA

An analysis of campaign finance records reveals that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) spent far more on November’s Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) elections than previously reported.

According to filings with the Louisiana Board of Ethics, Orleans Future PAC, a political action committee launched by AFT in late-September of last year, spent nearly $370,000 in the seven weeks leading up to Election Day.

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Contributor	City	State	Date	Amount
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS	Washington	DC	9/30/16	$144,000.00
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS	Washington	DC	10/20/16	$225,483.00
Holly Giarraputo (AFT’s campaign finance compliance consultant)	Missoula	MT	9/12/16	$150.00

Although the committee officially backed three school board candidates, including incumbents Nolan Marshall and Leslie Ellison, it appeared that the bulk of their efforts focused on the race in District 6, where political newcomer David Alvarez was running to unseat Woody Koppel, who has backed the city’s school reform efforts during his tenure on the board.

As previously noted, Orleans Future PAC supported Alvarez’s bid with direct mail and digital advertising, but their campaign reports also show that AFT paid for door-to-door canvassing as well. Nevertheless, in spite of AFT’s well-financed efforts, Koppel went on to defeat Alvarez with 53% of the vote.

However, the most interesting revelation from Orleans Future PAC’s disclosures isn’t how much much AFT spent, but how they spent it. With the exception of Orleans Future PAC’s $100 registration fee to the Board of Ethics, every dollar AFT spent on New Orleans’ school board elections went to out-of-state consultants and media firms.

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NAME	CITY	STATE	PURPOSE	DATE	AMOUNT
GBI STRATEGIES, LLC	Cordova	TN	Payroll expenses-canvassing	10/3/16	$39,000.00
HART RESEARCH ASSOCIATES	WASHINGTON	DC	Polling	10/7/16	$37,500.00
GBI STRATEGIES, LLC	Cordova	TN	Payroll expenses	10/27/16	$20,000.00
GBI STRATEGIES, LLC	Cordova	TN	Payroll expenses	10/21/16	$39,000.00
GBI STRATEGIES, LLC	Cordova	TN	Digital advertising	11/3/16	$45,000.00
TERRIS, BARNES & WALTERS	San Francisco	CA	Printing-Canvassing materials	11/3/16	$5,984.75
TERRIS, BARNES & WALTERS	San Francisco	CA	Printing-Direct mail	10/23/16	$136,700.57
LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS	Baton Rouge	LA	Registration Fee	9/12/16	$100.00
CAMPAIGN COMPLIANCE, INC.	MIssoula	MT	Accounting fee	10/7/16	$1,075.47
FIRST INTERSTATE BANK	Missoula	MT	Bank fee	10/3/16	$25.00
CAMPAIGN COMPLIANCE, INC.	MIssoula	MT	Accounting fee	11/4/16	$1,080.45
FIRST INTERSTATE BANK	Missoula	MT	Bank fee	10/20/16	$10.00
FIRST INTERSTATE BANK	Missoula	MT	Bank fee	10/21/16	$25.00
FIRST INTERSTATE BANK	Missoula	MT	Bank fee	10/25/16	$25.00
FIRST INTERSTATE BANK	Missoula	MT	Bank fee	10/28/16	$25.00
FIRST INTERSTATE BANK	Missoula	MT	Bank fee	11/4/16	$25.00
FREESTONE COMMUNICATIONS	St. Louis	MO	Political consultant/travel	11/4/16	$16,418.09
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS	Washington	DC	Refund	12/1/16	$25,638.67
CAMPAIGN COMPLIANCE, INC.	MIssoula	MT	Accounting fee	12/1/16	$2,000.00

Although AFT’s last-minute involvement in the OPSB races caught many political observers by surprise, recent developments suggest it’s part of a broader push by the union to reestablish itself in New Orleans. AFT’s F.Y. 2015 and F.Y. 2016 reports to the U.S. Department of Labor show that the union has also steered more than $1.1 million towards organizing efforts in New Orleans since 2014.

Given the outcome of the recent OPSB elections and the mixed results AFT has had with organizing, it certainly doesn’t seem like money well spent.