Allen Hewitt Wellons NC State Senate (SD 11) Background Research Report
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TEL: (916) 476-6647 // FAX: (916) 720-0334 // WEB: www.mbpublicaffairs.com Allen Hewitt Wellons NC State Senate (SD 11) Background Research Report May 2020 1415 L Street #1260, Sacramento, CA 95814 SD 11 – Allen Hewitt Wellons 5/8/2020 Version Summary of Chapters SECTION A: BACKGROUND & PUBLIC RECORDS ....................................................... 12 A.1 – General Background – Previously Served as an NC State Senator from 1997-2002 ....... 13 A.2 – Social Media/Internet Video Profile .............................................................................. 16 A.3 – Voter Registration & Voting History ............................................................................. 18 A.4 – SEIs & Business Filings ................................................................................................. 23 A.5 – Property Ownership & Property Taxes .......................................................................... 35 A.6 – Court Records & Other Public Records ........................................................................ 42 A.7 – Record as an Attorney/ Wilkins & Wellons Law Firm .................................................. 48 SECTION B: POLITICAL HISTORY .................................................................................. 62 B.1 – Summary of 2020 SD 11 Campaign ................................................................................. 63 B.2 – Wellons Touts His 2020 Campaign as Key to Flipping the NC Senate to Dems.......... 67 B.3 – Wellons Is Part of the Liberal “Now or Never NC” PAC’s Slate of Candidates ........... 72 B.4 – Summary of Contributions to Others – More than $400,000 to Democrats .................. 77 B.5 – Wellons’ Contributions to Obama, Clinton & Biden Presidential Campaigns ............. 95 B.6 – Contributed to Dem. State Rep. Duane Hall after Sexual Misconduct Allegations ... 107 B.7 – Appointed by Governor Easley to NC State Board of Community Colleges ............... 110 B.8 – Other Political History .................................................................................................. 113 SECTION C: TAX & FISCAL ISSUES ................................................................................. 116 C.1 – Voted for 2001-2003 State Budget that Included $1 Billion Tax Increase ..................... 117 C.2 – Voted to Accelerate the Timeline for a Local Option Sales Tax Increase .................. 129 C.3 – Wellons Left the State with a Massive Budget Deficit in 2002 .................................... 132 C.4 – Sponsored Bill to Hike Sales Taxes and Real Estate Taxes by $1 Billion ................... 135 C.5 – Voted for/Sponsored Other Tax Increases – Taxes on Businesses & Rental Cars .... 139 C.6 – Support for Gov. Cooper’s Proposed Tax Hikes on Businesses and Individuals ....... 142 C.7 – Sponsored Bill to Increase Retirement Benefits for State Workers and Legislators ... 144 1 SD 11 – Allen Hewitt Wellons 5/8/2020 Version SECTION D: OTHER ISSUES ........................................................................................... 147 D.1 – Support for Medicaid Expansion ................................................................................. 148 D.2 – Supported In-State College Tuition Rates for Illegal Immigrants .............................. 157 D.3 – Supported by Planned Parenthood .............................................................................. 167 D.4 – Ties to Environmental Groups that Support the Green New Deal ............................. 169 D.5 – Ties to NC Association of Educators, which Opposed Key GOP State Legislation .. 176 D.6 – Contributions from Trial Lawyers ............................................................................... 180 D.7 – Criticism of President Trump’s Trade War with China .............................................. 185 D.8 – Supports Public Financing of Campaigns and Longer Terms for Legislators ........... 186 APPENDIX A: Property Owned by Wellons-Affiliated Companies .................................... 189 APPENDIX B: Contributions to Others ................................................................................ 191 APPENDIX C: Sponsored Legislation 1997-2002 ................................................................. 213 2 SD 11 – Allen Hewitt Wellons 5/8/2020 Version Narrative Table of Contents SECTION A: BACKGROUND & PUBLIC RECORDS ....................................................... 12 A.1 – General Background – Previously Served as an NC State Senator from 1997-2002 ....... 13 Identifying Information – Born in 1949; Resides in Smithfield, NC .............................................................. 13 Biography – Wellons Is a Farm Manager and Lawyer; Previously Served in the NC State Senate from 1997-2002 .................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Political Timeline ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Wellons Previously Served on the NC State Personnel Commission – Unclear when He Served ............ 14 Local Newspapers Used for Report ...................................................................................................................... 15 A.2 – Social Media/Internet Video Profile .............................................................................. 16 Summary of Social Media Accounts ..................................................................................................................... 16 Summary of Online Videos about/Featuring Wellons ...................................................................................... 16 A.3 – Voter Registration & Voting History ............................................................................. 18 State Board of Elections Records Show that Wellons Is Currently Registered as a Democrat, Has Been Registered to Vote in Johnston County since November 1978, and Has Voted as a Democrat Exclusively since September 2002 ......................................................................................................................... 18 State Board of Elections Records Show that Wellons Has Voted in All 29 Presidential Preference Primary Elections, Primary Elections, and General Elections since May 1992 – Wellons Has Failed to Vote in One Out of Seven “Second Primary” Elections since June 1992 ..................................................... 20 Johnston County Board of Elections – Search for Records Pending ............................................................. 22 A.4 – SEIs & Business Filings ................................................................................................. 23 Statements of Economic Interest (SEIs) – Wellons Filed an SEI in 2019 ..................................................... 23 On His SEI Signed in December 2019, Wellons Disclosed Financial Interests in or Income from Properties, Significant Stock Ownership, and Businesses ................................................................................. 23 Summary of Business Filings – Wellons Has Been an Officer of Nine Companies, Four of which Have Been Dissolved; Wellons Also Has Been the Registered Agent for 11 Other Companies ......................... 28 Wellons Is an Officer of Two Companies that Were Suspended by the North Carolina Department of Revenue for Failure to File an Annual Report and an Officer of Two Other Companies that Were Dissolved by the North Carolina Secretary of State for Failure to File an Annual Report ......................... 30 One of Wellons’ Affiliated Companies Has Taken More than $550,000 in Federal Crop Subsidies since 1995 – About One-Third of these Subsidies Were for Tobacco Crops ......................................................... 34 3 SD 11 – Allen Hewitt Wellons 5/8/2020 Version A.5 – Property Ownership & Property Taxes .......................................................................... 35 Current Property Ownership – Wellons Owns Nine Properties in Johnston County, Including One Residential Property and Eight Vacant Properties ............................................................................................. 35 Wellons Has Made One Delinquent Property Tax Payment in Johnston County – Paid $108.60 in Interest Due to the Late Payment ......................................................................................................................... 37 Current Property Ownership – Active, for-Profit Companies Affiliated with Wellons Own a Total of 82 Properties in Johnston County, Including a Golf Course and Hundreds of Acres of Agriculture Land and Timberland ........................................................................................................................................................ 38 Current Property Ownership – Wellons Owns One Residential Property in Carteret County .................. 38 Wellons Has Made One Delinquent Property Tax Payment in Carteret County – Paid $12.57 in Interest/Fees Due to the Late Payment ............................................................................................................... 39 Summary of Recorded Document Searches – No Tax Liens, Civil Judgments, Mortgage Defaults, or Foreclosures Have Been Filed against Wellons and His Affiliated Companies ............................................ 40 A.6 – Court Records & Other Public Records .......................................................................