Maybe this is why former At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange wanted to hold two jobs at the same time. Orange may be out of District politics, but he’s left something behind: tens of thousands of dollars in campaign debt.
According to a new finance report, Orange’s now-defunct campaign owes more than $80,000 to banks, companies, and former campaign workers—even his own son.
In an Office of Campaign Finance disclosure filed yesterday, Orange’s campaign reports owing a whopping $81,734.76 to former vendors. The campaign debt amounts to nearly a third of the campaign’s total spending on his failed June re-election bid: $268,430.36.
The bulk of Orange’s debt ($40,524) is owed to Kennedy Communications, one of the go-to mailing firms for District campaigns. The campaign owes thousands each to D.C. Democratic State Committee bigwig Don Dinan ($4,836.51), Ward 5 get-out-the-vote expert Bob King ($8,000), and Wards 7 and 8 coordinator Ed Potillo ($2,000).
Other Orange creditors include NewsChannel 8 ($2,000) and multiple credit card companies for van and headquarters rentals. The campaign owes $1,500 to Orange’s son Paul Orange, who worked as the campaign treasurer.
All that spending couldn’t save Orange from a surprise re-election defeat in June’s primary to Robert White. Now the president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, Orange cut his lame duck term short in August after an outcry over his attempt to work at the Chamber while staying on the Council.
It’s not clear whether Orange, who didn’t respond to LL’s request for comment, plans to fundraise to pay off his campaign’s debt.