CampaignLA, a Glendale company that produces campaign signs for political candidates, has filed theft charges against Tristan Schukraft, an unsuccessful candidate in the March 3 West Hollywood City Council election.
Doug Howard, general manager of CampaignLA, said Schukraft placed a rush order for 100 signs promoting his campaign on Feb. 20. Howard said Schukraft promised to pay the $722 he owed for the signs by Feb. 23.
Howard said Schukraft failed to pay by that date but then came to pick up the signs on Feb. 25 at the CampaignLA office. When questioned about his failure to pay, Howard said, Schukraft told him he had left his checkbook in his car and would retrieve it.
Howard said he and his employees were stunned to see Schukraft instead drive away without paying. He said Schukraft told him later that he had been distracted by a cellphone call.
Howard said he has tried numerous times since then to collect the payment. Each time, he said, “Mr. Schukraft appeared evasive, deceitful, and unclear about when he would make restitution.”
“CampaignLA is not in the business of funding candidates’ campaigns,” Howard said. “If Mr. Schukraft did not have the funding to run for office, nor could he afford the signs he ordered, he never should have run for City Council in the first place.”
Howard said he has filed a complaint with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station which is assigning a detective to look into the matter.
When told about Howard’s allegation today, Schukraft told WEHOville that he had mailed a check to CampaignLA two weeks ago.
Schukraft filed a statement with the West Hollywood City Clerk stating his intention to run in the March 3 City Council election but has not filed required reports listing campaign donations, which suggests he did not receive any. Schukraft got 278 votes in the election, which ranked him 10th among 12 candidates for three Council seats. The winners, John D’Amico, Lauren Meister and Lindsey Horvath, got 2,312, 2,138 and 2,135 votes respectively.
Schukraft, a former model and entrepreneur, currently is Vice President of Operstions of New Frontiers Media, owner of the Frontiers gay magazine.
@jimmy: perhaps the winner for the most perfectly succinct analysis of this story. Lol. Exactly.
@Frank: what is Hank reporting on it? Why wouldn’t he have reported on it would have been the question. Duh! Aside from the sexiness of it, he ran for council and pulled a fast one. We have the right to know. But again, it’s a sexy story (albeit a minor one) and that’s why people in the news business do what they do best: report stories. It’s not rocket science.
Who uses a checkbook?
He got distracted by a phone call so he forgot to come back inside without his checkbook but why didn’t he use a credit card or just bring the checkbook inside before picking up the signs?
This is strange.
Mr. Schukraft’s excuses for non-payment (if true) puzzle me. Supposedly, this is a man who founded a rather successful company, is now with Frontiers Media and lives in the Dylan (I’m certain not an inexpensive domicile). Yet he can’t pay $722 for campaign signs ! I don’t “get it.”
“People get busy and things like this fall through the cracks.”
No. If it takes many attempts in order attempt to collect a debt, that’s bigger than “falling through the cracks.”
Given the need for a rush order, Mr. Schukraft should have been prompt with his payment.
‘Each time, he said, “Mr. Schukraft appeared evasive, deceitful, and unclear about when he would make restitution.”’ Restitution?? Aren’t we only talking about an unpaid invoice? Why is this Doug Howard discussing restitution? “If Mr. Schukraft did not have the funding to run for office, nor could he afford the signs he ordered, he never should have run for City Council in the first place.” Mr. Howard makes such bold statements as if he is the campaign treasurer. There could be a thousand reasons (other than lack of funds) why CampaignLA did not receive timely payment. Mr. Howard is in… Read more »
Obviously this publication has nothing to write about…. Isn’t there anything better to report on? Seems like a jealous jab at Frontiers. Go Frontiers