Courage Cup: Ponying Up For Whose Charity?

According to New York state newspaper accounts at the time, Citizens United for Ethical Growth was founded in fall 2004 with Ball as its president. Its goals were to promote "smart growth" and regional planning in the small-town and suburban communities north of New York City, with special concern for traffic congestion on state Route 22. The following April, Ball announced he would run as a Republican for state assembly against a longtime incumbent. In December 2005, CUEG -- then described in its press releases as being led by a Dutchess County, N.Y., landscaper, Frank Chiera -- announced it was transferring its $18,000 in assets to Ball's campaign.

Contacted several weeks ago and asked about the 2005 Washington area contributions, Chiera responded that "Greg held a fundraiser, a polo match." But he said he didn't have anything to do with the event other than attending, and he referred questions to Ball.

Ball told us the Courage Cup sold "tent space" to Citizens United -- CUEG's finance records show a $2,500 payment to Courage Cup -- as well as other outside organizations, at least one of which then sold tickets to its own members. Ball said the Courage Cup's Web site offered people options to buy tickets at different price levels to different tents. Those who selected the Golden Mallet Tent ("a catered affair with a free flowing bar") were sent to the online form that stated profits would go to Citizens United. "If they don't remember that, I don't know what to say," Ball said.

How much did CUEG sell tickets for? And how did it provide food and booze when no such expenses are listed in campaign finance records? Ball and his legislative spokesman referred questions about the Citizens United/Golden Mallet tent back to Chiera. "Frank is really the one who was in total control of this, not Greg," said spokesman Rob DiFrancesco.

Chiera, contacted a second time, reversed his previous account, saying he had misspoken earlier. In the second interview, he said that Ball was not involved in the PAC's fundraising at the polo match and that he himself had authorized the CUEG tent. But Chiera could not explain how the money was raised, saying the effort was organized by other CUEG volunteers whom he could not name. "All I did was approve it."

In January, two months after Ball won his state assembly seat, he engaged in a highly public feud with Andrea Rodgers and Keri Ann Meslar, who ran the 2006 Courage Cup while he was running for office. His former friends resisted his attempt to retake a leadership role, claiming he left the organization in fiscal disarray; Ball charged that he was the Courage Cup's rightful owner and that the two women stole his intellectual property.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is carrying on with plans for the 2007 event, to be held Saturday in The Plains. In a statement, Rodgers said she was "disappointed" to learn about money going to the PAC and emphasized that Ball is not involved in the newly incorporated nonprofit that now runs the match.

Lucy Shackelford, Post director of information resources, contributed to this report.