When one takes a look at Michael Schiavo and statements that he makes, a lot of things don't add up.

Over the years, he's told a lot of different stories about what he claims happened the night of Feb. 25, 1990, when his wife, Terri Schindler Schiavo, inexplicably collapsed, suffering brain damage from a deprivation of oxygen.

Fifteen years later, the ever loving husband was successful in causing her death although there was no clear and convincing evidence that she would want to die by the barbaric withholding of all food and water, natural and by feeding tube, for 13 days while the whole world watched.

Credibility is not one of Pinocchio's---whoops, Schiavo's strong points.

Once again, Schiavo's mouth and statements don't match written documentation and it appears that he and/or his brother, Brian may have filed false reports with the Federal Election Commission, an agency still awaiting responses from their past requests for further information regarding the campaign finance activity of Schiavo's political action committee, TerriPAC.

The alleged purpose of TerriPAC is to "raise and spend funds to educate voters on where their elected officials stood when they had a choice between individual freedom and personal privacy and overreaching government action". As evidenced by the report just filed, it appears America isn't interested in funding Michael Schiavo's personal vendetta against legislators who voted to err on the side of life and to try and save the life of his disabled wife.

The quarterly report for TerriPAC was due to be filed with the FEC by April 15 and according to the agency's website, TerriPAC treasurer Brian Schiavo did meet the deadline.

The report shows that TerriPac and Schiavo spent more during the quarter than they took in, a lot more, but what's even more revealing is the discrepancies between public statements made by Schiavo about the amount of monies allegedly raised and the amount reported to the federal government. In whose pocket is the excess and why hasn't it been reported to the government? Or did Michael Schiavo tell a tall tale at KOS?

One just can't believe a thing that Schiavo says.

It seems that wherever there are questions about money and accountings, Michael Schiavo isn't far behind.

The second anniversary of his wife's death was March 31 but instead of quietly memorializing her death, Schiavo was using his diary at Diary Kos to pander for money.

On March 28, Schiavo publicly announced that one of TerriPac's largest donors had issued a "challenge and offered to match dollar for dollar, up to her legal limit of $5,000, everything that we raise by the end of the quarter.

On March 30, Schiavo announced that since the donor "made her offer", they had collected "slightly more than $1,100 online and "with her match, that's $2,200 in the past 48 hours".

But that's not what Schiavo reported to the federal agency.

In his April 15 filing with FEC for the first 2007 quarter ending March 31, Schiavo only reported receipts of $1,675, not $2,200 as he claimed he received from just one donor. Although by his own published statement, the unidentified woman had allegedly contributed $1,100 to TerriPAC during the first quarter, before the ending date of March 31, but according to Schiavo's report, there was only one donor to TerriPAC who contributed more than $100 during the first quarter and that was William Rinker of Towson, Md., with a $250 donation. According to federal rules, a $2,200 contribution would have to be fully disclosed.

Something's not adding up.

Schiavo reported that TerriPAC began 2007 with $51,236 cash on hand but ended the quarter with $37,067 after expending $15,794 with nearly half of the expenditures being paid to Schiavo's consultant, Derek Newton. Newton raked in $7,027 for the 12 weeks under November Group, and another $1,250 operating as OnTime Fundraisers for a total of $8,277, nearly $700 a week. Newton's itemized disbursements were $4,700 for consulting, $2,100 for "design, printing and mailing and $227.94 for travel.

Schiavo also reported that he had expended $4,412 to Frederick Polls of Arlington, Va., although the subject of the purported poll is not reported. Another $2,170 was paid to Junco Partners of Miami for "DVD duplication and distribution".

In at least four requests for additional information directed to Schiavo and TerriPAC, the FEC has questioned previously reported expenditures for "polling", "video production" and "printing and design".

FEC has been chasing discrepancies in cash balances and expenditures reported by TerriPAC since December 2005, including three additional requests for information with responses due on March 19. According to the FEC website, Schiavo and TerriPAC never filed a response.

FEC has been particularly interested in the expenditures reported for "fundraising fees", monies paid to Newton, asking how these funds were expended, telling them if the funds were for specific candidates such as failed Congressional Colorado candidate Angie Paccione who Schiavo supported, disclosure must be made.

So far, Schiavo has failed to respond to the FEC, according to their website at www.fec.gov.

In questioning Schiavo's expenditures previously reported for "polling", "video production" and "printing and design", FEC said if a portion or all of these expenditures were for public communications and voter drive activity containing express advocacy as defined, this would constitute in-kind contribution or independent expenditure and must be properly disclosed. So far, no disclosure which would appear to be in violation of federal regulations.

Schiavo took to the Internet in late January when either he or his "consultant" Newton posted on the Daily KOS forum, pandering for $50,000. So far, he still hasn't properly accounted for the other money he raised by exploiting Terri's name.

On March 13, the same day that Terri's brother, Bobby Schindler, announced his endorsement of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback for Brownback's bid for the GOP nomination for President, Schiavo circulated an email for TerriPAC saying that he had decided to be part of the 2008 election and that he needed to raise "as much as $50,000 this year alone in order to get ready for 2008".

In his first quarter report for 2006, Schiavo claimed a $1,000 disbursement for "video production" and later in 2006, claimed another $2,000 disbursed to Junco Partners of Miami for video production. This quarter, Schiavo claims another $2,170 was paid to Jesus Junco of Junco Partners but although $5,170 has supposedly been spent in producing video, it doesn't appear that any video of TerriPAC has been publicly aired anywhere.

Derek Newton's November Group isn't incorporated with the state of Florida or registered with the Department of State, according to the public records filed at sunbiz.org. According to state business records, Newton was the registered agent and president of the November Group Inc. which was initially filed in February 2002 but administratively dissolved in September 2003 for failing to file an annual report. Newton filed November Group Consultants Inc. in October 2003, dissolved for failure to file, reinstated in December 2004 and then permanently dissolved for failure to report to the state in September 2005.

Three times the federal agency has issued requests to Schiavo and TerriPAC for additional information, most recently on Feb. 16, demanding explanations of their past filings with a due date of March 19.

Three times TerriPac has apparently snubbed FEC.

There's a saying that figures don't lie but liars can figure.

That sure seems accurate in the case of TerriPac.

The next time you see Michael Schiavo, check out his nose. 4-20-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette