GOP’s Mike Kennealy received a string of donations above legal limit in April, data shows

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy received a string of contributions in April that surpassed the max amount an individual can donate under state law a situation his campaign attributed to donors covering credit card fees and couples giving through a single payment The excess donations flowed in during the first weeks of Kennealy s campaign for governor and ranged from to according to state facts The -year-old from Lexington loaned his campaign last month which helped bring his total fundraising figure to evidence shows Logan Trupiano Kennealy s campaign spokesperson commented certain donors covered credit card fees associated with their donations which caused them to slightly exceed the max contribution allowed in a calendar year to a candidate for elected office The Kennealy committee has refunded majority of of these overages already and will refund the remainder this week Additionally several joint spousal donors made maximum contributions in a single transaction we are in the process of refunding and reattributing in these instances Trupiano announced in a comment to the Herald Monday night Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan slammed Kennealy for the over-the-limit donations MAGA Mike Kennealy is showing us once again he is not ready for prime time OCPF rules are straightforward and clear If he can t manage that basic task how would he run state ruling body Kerrigan announced in a announcement to the Herald Trupiano fired back at Kerrigan Gov Maura Healey has mismanaged three billion taxpayer dollars on the migrant situation so far There isn t much comparison he noted referring to cash the Healey administration has spent on state-run shelters housing local and migrant families Jason Tait a spokesperson for the Office of Campaign and Political Finance stated the agency does not comment on specific candidates but regulators review all reports submitted by political hopefuls that exceed the limit The agency typically sends an audit letter to candidates who have received excess contributions to seek more information Tait disclosed If the campaign did receive an excess donation the candidate is required to return the amount over the state limit according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance The nine individuals who donated to Kennealy ranged from retirees to insurance executives and CEOs to farmers according to state records Another -plus people spanning teachers executives investors and hotel owners contributed to Kennealy campaign finance input displayed More than individuals donated the legal top-dollar amount of including an attorney from the firm WilmerHale a senior lecturer at Harvard University and a handful of finance executives according to state facts last updated Monday night Kennealy touted the April donations he pulled in as a powerful message and reported they were more than any non-incumbent Republican gubernatorial candidate earned in their first month campaigning over the past years The people of Massachusetts are ready for new leadership The Healey Administration has failed on affordability society safety housing vitality and managing the migrant emergency he revealed in a report last week Former Gov Charlie Baker and Geoff Diehl a former state lawmaker are the only two other Republicans who have made it to a general vote in Massachusetts over the past years Baker ran in the and statewide elections and Diehl competed in the balloting In the and elections Baker faced a lower maximum individual donation cap of Former Gov Deval Patrick a Democrat signed decree in August that doubled the individual contribution limit from to starting in Kennealy is the only Republican to so far launch a gubernatorial campaign ahead of the elections Brian Shortsleeve a former MBTA executive and venture capitalist and Sen Peter Durant of Spencer are weighing a run Republican mega-donor Michael Minogue has had conversations with top brass at the Massachusetts Republican Party about a feasible bid but has not responded to repeated Herald inquiries Healey a first-term Democrat from Arlington noted earlier this year that she plans to run for reelection