Every dollar on this page is sourced from public filings with the Maryland State Board of Elections. No allegations. No opinions. Just the money.
Data: MD SBE filings for Filer IDs 1011839, 13014854, 13015392 — through Pre-Primary 2 (June 7, 2026)
Read the District 1 Resident Broadsheet → The sourced account from the neighbors who watched him govern.
Andrew Friedson's campaign and two "independent" Super PACs spent over $5 million in the 2026 cycle. Here's what each one does.
28 of 58 Affordable Maryland PAC donors (48%) also gave directly to Friedson's campaign. Combined dual-donor giving: $1.13M+.
| Donor | To Super PAC | To Friedson | Combined | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.F. Saul Company | $150,000 | $3,533 | $153,533 | Est. net worth $2.8B (Forbes). EEOC paid $210K to settle disability discrimination suit. EEOC.gov |
| Polinger family Arnold + Diane Polinger | $100,000 | $16,033 | $116,033 | 5530 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase. |
| Bernstein cluster Corp + 6 family members | $100,000 | $33,404 | $133,404 | 4800 Hampden Lane, Bethesda. Corp + Bethesda Center LLC. +$20K Jun Class action (Jul 2024): hidden $150/mo AC fees across 16 rent-stabilized DC buildings. |
| David Flanagan Elm Street Communities | $100,000 | $7,500 | $107,500 | McLean, VA. OUT OF STATE |
| McMahon Trust + family Former chairman, Miller & Long | $100,000 | $6,000 | $106,000 | Brett McMahon gave $6K to Friedson. |
| No 1 RSC / Guardian Realty | $60,000 | $11,000 | $71,000 | 6000 Executive Blvd, Rockville. Three entities. |
| 451 Hungerford LLCs 9 entities, same address | $50,500 | $8,285 | $58,785 | Multiple gave on the same date. |
| Southern Management | $50,000 | $6,750 | $56,750 | McLean, VA. OUT OF STATE |
| Apartment Income REIT | $50,000 | $6,000 | $56,000 | Acquired by Blackstone for ~$10B (June 2024). Blackstone.com |
| Charles K Nulsen III | $50,000 | $5,000 | $55,000 | Washington Property Co. |
| EYA LLC + President | $45,000 | $6,000 | $51,000 | 4800 Hayden Lane, Bethesda. +$10K Jun President Quinn gave $1K personal. |
| Nicholas Paleologos | $25,000 | $7,035 | $32,035 | President, Miller & Long Co. |
| Robert Buchanan | $12,500 | $15,714 | $28,214 | Buchanan Partners. 12 donations to Friedson. |
| Coakley & Williams | $50,000 | $2,500 | $52,500 | 4500 E-W Hwy, Bethesda. +$25K Jun CEO, COO, CFO all gave individually to Friedson. |
| Foulger-Pratt | $25,000 | $1,033 | $26,033 | Park Potomac developer. |
| Stonebridge Associates | $30,000 | $9,535 | $39,535 | 7373 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda. +$15K Jun |
| Chevy Chase Land Co. | $40,000 | $3,592 | $43,592 | 5471 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase. +$20K Jun CFO gave $1K to Friedson. |
| White Star Shoppes | $10,000 | $12,000 | $22,000 | 7904 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda. |
| TOTAL (28+ dual donors) | ~$1,108,500 | ~$188,000 | ~$1,230,000+ |
PAC-only donors with no Friedson match: ERP Operating LP / Equity Residential (Chicago, $50K — $56M RealPage rent-fixing settlement Apr 2026; $22.7M unlawful late fees CA; $2M DC "rent hike scam"), Retail Services & Systems ($50K), FR 54 LLC c/o Christopher Clemente (Reston VA, $25K), Bozzuto & Associates ($14,750), AOBA PAC ($50K), Edward St. John ($10K), and multiple LLCs registered to Rockville PO Boxes.
PO Box LLC cluster: Monte Gingery, Second Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Republican Party (mcgop.com), is Principal of Gingery Development Group. Five LLCs at PO Box 4446, Rockville gave $75,000 to the PAC. Gingery Development entities gave $56,000 to Friedson in prior filings. The PO Box LLCs did not give directly to Friedson.
Some of Friedson's biggest backers have documented histories of tenant abuse, rent manipulation, and employment discrimination:
| Donor | Combined $ | Documented Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Equity Residential ERP Operating LP, Chicago | $50,000 | $56M RealPage rent-price-fixing settlement (Apr 2026). $22.7M unlawful late fees (CA, ~200K tenants). $2M DC "rent hike scam" — AG found they misled tenants on actual rent then raised it at renewal. $2M illegal move-in fees (MA). |
| Bernstein Management 4800 Hampden Lane, Bethesda | $133,404 | Class action (Jul 2024): systematically charged hidden $150/mo AC fees across 16 rent-stabilized DC buildings to circumvent rent control. DC Rental Housing Commission case on record. Tenant quoted $208/mo above legal maximum. |
| B.F. Saul Company | $153,533 | $210,000 EEOC settlement — fired employee one week before scheduled breast cancer surgery after refusing reasonable accommodations. |
| Southern Management McLean, VA | $56,750 | Documented tenant complaints at MoCo properties: substandard units, mold, roach infestations, use of private security for intimidation, denial of rent assistance through county agencies. |
Maryland law limits individual and entity donations to candidate committees. But Super PACs have no limits. Two developer clusters used multiple LLCs to multiply their contributions to the Affordable Maryland PAC — each LLC writing a separate check, all controlled by the same people, all at the same address.
Why does this matter? Maryland Election Law §13-226 requires aggregating contributions from "affiliated entities" — entities with 80%+ common ownership. If these LLCs are commonly owned (same PO Box, same principal), their combined contributions should be aggregated as a single donor. Instead, each LLC writes a separate check, effectively multiplying one developer's influence across multiple "donors."
Between these two clusters alone: $125,500 to the PAC + ~$67,285 directly to Friedson = $192,785 from what may be two developers using 14 different entity names.
More than $325,000 in Affordable Maryland PAC contributions came from outside Maryland. These donors have no vote in Montgomery County but are spending to influence who holds the most powerful position in county government.
| Donor | Amount to PAC | Location |
|---|---|---|
| David Flanagan / Elm Street Communities | $100,000 | McLean, VA |
| ERP Operating LP (Equity Residential) | $50,000 | Chicago, IL |
| Southern Management Companies | $50,000 | McLean, VA |
| Apartment Income REIT (Blackstone) | $50,000 | Bethesda (NYC parent) |
| FR 54 LLC / Christopher Clemente | $25,000 | Reston, VA |
| Peterson Development Companies | $25,000 | Fairfax, VA |
| Boston Properties LP | $5,000 | Boston, MA |
| IES Residential Inc. | $2,500 | Sugar Land, TX |
| TOTAL OUT-OF-STATE PAC MONEY | $307,500+ |
Additional out-of-state donors to Friedson's campaign include the Schusterman family ($12,000 from Tulsa, OK), David and Monica Zwirner ($12,000 from NYC), and multiple NYC/FL/CT donors giving $6,000 each.
The Affordable Maryland PAC's chairman, Jonathan Robinson, was described by reporter Theodore Schleifer as having been hired by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz (~$10-19B net worth) to advise on political giving. Schleifer wrote:
"I've also learned that Moskovitz recently hired the savvy Jonathan Robinson — most recently a top advisor at the Democratic data giant Catalist and also part of this new crop of operatives — to help bring even more rigor to his political giving."
Robinson simultaneously serves as chairman of the Affordable Maryland PAC (raising $1.5M from developers for a county executive race) and as an advisor to a Silicon Valley billionaire's political operation.
Moskovitz's philanthropic arm, Open Philanthropy (now Coefficient Giving), recommended a $500,000 grant to "Affordable Maryland" for housing and land-use advocacy in 2022 — the same year the PAC launched its first campaign against County Executive Marc Elrich.
Robinson has not appeared in any Friedson contribution filing.
Developer donors give. Council votes follow. Every vote below is from the Montgomery County Council public record.
Montgomery County has two proposed data center sites with multiple buildings each. Friedson is the only CE candidate who opposed the moratorium. Maryland is in a severe drought. And once they're built, they cannot be undone.
Maryland is in a severe drought.
As of June 9, 2026: 73% of Maryland is under drought conditions. 21.9% is in Extreme Drought (D3). 26.7% is in Severe Drought (D2). And Atmosphere wants to pull up to 500,000 gallons per day from the Potomac River for cooling.
Friedson's stated position: data centers should "bring your own clean energy" and "pay their own way." He explicitly opposed a moratorium, saying "that's not what we do in Montgomery County." Glass introduced a 6-month moratorium. Jawando introduced a 2-year moratorium. Elrich signed a 6-month executive order on June 12, 2026.
As County Executive, Friedson would have far more authority than he had as a committee chair — including over permitting decisions like whether a data center moratorium stays, weakens, or expires.
Across the country, communities that didn't stop data centers at the permitting stage are now in court:
Once a data center is built and operational, no community has successfully forced its removal. The lawsuits come after the damage is done. The moratorium is the only tool that works — and Friedson opposed it.
Three committees. Completely separate vendors. One shared link between the PACs. Zero overlap with the campaign.
| Function | FRIEDSON CAMPAIGN | AFFORDABLE MD PAC | GCAAR SUPER PAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV / Media | Screen Strategies Media Fairfax, VA — $1.15M | 20/20 Insight LLC Atlanta, GA — $1.28M | — |
| Polling | Global Strategy Group DC — $71K | Tavern Research Chicago, IL — $56K | — |
| Direct Mail | Campaign vendor DC — $623K | Convergence Targeted DC — $71K | Convergence Targeted DC — $51K |
| Digital | Blueprint Interactive DC — $334K | — | Gambit Strategies DC — $11K |
| Field / Canvassing | Campaign staff Payroll — $190K | — | Donohoe Partners DC — $889K |
Convergence Targeted Communications is the only vendor used by both Super PACs. It was paid $70,838 by the Affordable Maryland PAC and $50,976 by the GCAAR Super PAC. Convergence lists the California Association of REALTORS as a client and was founded by Chris Cooper (previously Managing Director at SKDK).
Donohoe Partners and Convergence both list the same address in SBE filings: 1250 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 700, DC — a virtual office facility operated by Metro Offices (Dupont Circle). Donohoe Partners' sole listed officer is Diana Marquez (per FL SunBiz filing F19000004836). The firm received $10.76M in the 2020 election cycle and $7.01M in the 2024 cycle per FEC data reported by OpenSecrets.
GCAAR (Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS) represents 12,000+ real estate agents in DC and Montgomery County. Individual realtors make small voluntary contributions to the association's political fund — typically $10 to $200 via credit card. Recent contributors include agents at HomeSmart, Compass, eXp Realty, Coldwell Banker, Long & Foster, and other brokerages.
Those small contributions are pooled by the trade association and transferred to its Super PAC (GCAAR MD IEC). The Super PAC then spends the money as a bloc on independent expenditures — in this case, $888,724 to a single canvassing firm (Donohoe Partners) for paid door-to-door operations supporting specific candidates.
The individual realtors giving $25 may have no knowledge that their contributions fund a nearly $900,000 canvassing operation for specific candidates chosen by GCAAR's Political and Campaign Affairs Committee (PCAC).
| Date | To Donohoe Partners | Friedson Share | Other Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/29/2026 | $255,962 | $80,400 | Morrison, Goldberg, McNulty, Silvestre |
| 05/21/2026 | $255,962 | $75,365 | + Ashman added |
| 05/28/2026 | $255,962 | $75,365 | Same allocation |
| Total | $888,724 | $231,130 |
Chairman: Jonathan Mathew Robinson — Former Lead Research Scientist at Catalist (Democratic voter-file database). Board member, Greater Greater Washington. Self-describes as "YIMBY" on social media. Not found in any Friedson contribution filing.
Treasurer: Elizabeth M. Brent (as of June 2026) — Founder, Go Brent Realty, Silver Spring. Co-hosted a David Blair campaign event branded with Montgomery County YIMBY. Blair endorsed Friedson in July 2025. Replaced Eric Saul as treasurer between May 28 and June 7, 2026.
Former Treasurer: Eric Christopher Saul — Architect, Takoma Park. Founder of the Takoma Torch, which published an anti-Jawando "PAC Man" article on May 26, 2026, while Saul was listed as PAC treasurer.
The PAC's $1.56M in TV ad spending went to a single firm: 20/20 Insight LLC in Atlanta. The firm's current registered agent and operator is Chris Huttman, who simultaneously serves as Research Director at Canal Partners Media — a firm that received $69.8M in the 2024 cycle as Biden-Harris's lead media buying operation.
Friedson campaigns on affordability. His record tells a different story. Every vote, quote, and number below is from public Council records, county data, or his own words on camera.
At the Chevy Chase Communities Forum (April 27, 2026), Friedson stated his #1 priority as CE would be expanding the developer fast-track countywide:
"We need to streamline our regulatory process and fix our permitting system to grow our economy. So, I will build on the Accelerate MoCo initiative which reduced the regulatory framework by 75% in particular areas and expand that out to all areas."
Timestamp: 9:12-9:28
"We can build on the Accelerate MoCo initiative...We can do that across the board. We can make it easier, cheaper, and faster to invest in Montgomery County."
Timestamp: 1:20:35-1:20:47
At the same forum, Jawando said (12:49-13:04): "Stop giving away our taxpayer dollars to developers to build luxury housing which doesn't enable us to invest in education and fixing our roads and other infrastructure. So I will work to modify and or repeal some of these developer giveaways."
Friedson's developer legislation is pitched as affordability. Here's what the bills actually contain:
County Executive Elrich warned that Bill 38-20 alone would cost $12.5-20 million per year in lost school and transportation revenue. Friedson voted to override Elrich's veto. The council's own CIP budget assumed $197.3M in impact taxes and fell $69.6M short.
Not a single piece of Friedson's legislation creates a new infrastructure requirement, establishes a proffer system, mandates developer-funded road improvements, or requires school capacity analysis before project approval.
| Safeguard | What Happened | When | Friedson's Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| School building moratorium | Eliminated. Development now proceeds regardless of school capacity. | Nov 2020 | Championed. Stated he was "particularly proud" of ending it. |
| School impact tax rate | Cut from 120% to 100%. | Dec 2020 | Voted YES. Overrode Elrich veto. |
| Traffic impact studies | Eliminated in Red Policy Areas near transit corridors. | Nov 2020 | Voted YES (Growth & Infrastructure Policy). |
| Impact tax payment timing | Deferred from early construction to final inspection. | Feb 2025 | Co-sponsored. |
| Property taxes (20 years) | Zeroed for 16 qualifying properties. | Apr 2025 | Voted YES. Overrode Elrich veto. |
| Permit review timeline | Cut from 600 to 160 days. | Mar 2026 | Introduced through PHP Committee. |
| Nothing was added. Zero new infrastructure requirements, proffers, developer-funded improvements, or school capacity analysis. | |||
| Metric | 2020 (Before ZTAs) | 2026 (Current) | Change | Projected (If Friedson Expands ZTA Countywide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median Rent | ~$1,788/mo | ~$2,097/mo | +17% | Market-rate new builds at $2,500-4,000/mo push "comps" higher countywide |
| Median Home Sale Price | ~$500,000 | ~$660,000 | +32% | 32,295 unbuilt units in pipeline. 85% market-rate. Supply doesn't lower prices when it's luxury. |
| Average Electricity Bill | ~$135/mo | ~$267/mo | +98% | Data centers projected to add $70/mo by 2028. MD homeowners face $1.6B in added bills over 10 years. |
| Property Tax Bill | Rate: $0.6742/$100 | Proposed FY27: $0.7372/$100 Assessments up 12-21% | Double-digit increase | Developers get 20-year exemptions (Bill 2-25). Homeowners absorb the gap. |
| Impact Tax Revenue | $60.8M (FY2014) | $15.6M (FY2024) | -74% | Further cuts + deferrals. $1B+ est. cumulative loss over 20 years. |
| Cost of Living vs. U.S. | Above average | 38.5% above national avg | Worsening | More density + data centers + developer giveaways = accelerating displacement |
| MCPS Enrollment | 165,267 (peak) | ~158,000 (declining) | -7,000+ | Projected 149,706 by 2031. Families leaving. 500+ portable classrooms. |
| % Renters Cost-Burdened | High | 47% (23% pay 50%+ of income) | Severe | New market-rate housing does not reduce cost burden for existing renters. |
Friedson's developer giveaways have already cost the county an estimated $132-415M in lost property tax revenue (Bill 2-25 alone over 20 years), plus $12.5-20M per year in lost impact taxes (Bill 38-20). The county's own CIP budget fell $69.6M short of projected impact tax revenue.
If Friedson becomes County Executive and expands Accelerate MoCo countywide (his stated #1 priority), these losses compound. Developers pay less. Homeowners and renters pay more — through higher property taxes, higher utility rates, overcrowded schools, and deteriorating infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Maryland is losing residents to lower-cost states. The OLO's own Report 2024-15 identifies housing costs as a primary driver of out-migration from Montgomery County.
When developers receive 20-year tax exemptions and reduced impact fees, the cost of schools, roads, and infrastructure doesn't disappear — it shifts to existing residents through higher property taxes, deferred maintenance, overcrowded schools, and deteriorating roads.
The county's development pipeline includes 294 projects and 32,295 unbuilt units (Sep 2025 data). 80% of the 79 major projects were approved between 2020-2025 — after the moratorium was eliminated. Friedson's District 1 alone contains approximately 16,000+ unbuilt units (50%+ of the county total), concentrated in White Flint (10,345), Bethesda (6,027), and Silver Spring (3,731).
Gentrification research shows the impact is already measurable:
When $4.5M in outside money flooded the 5th Congressional District race, Senator Chris Van Hollen held press conferences. In the County Executive race, it's $5M+ — and the response has been silence.
While $5M+ flows through three committees with 48% donor overlap, voters in Montgomery County are encountering:
Why does one candidate need $5 million to win a county executive race?
Montgomery County has 740,000 registered voters. That's $6.80 per voter being spent on behalf of one candidate — from a candidate committee, a developer-funded Super PAC, and a realtor Super PAC operating with zero shared vendors but 48% shared donors.
Senator Van Hollen called himself "frankly sickened" by the PAC's attack ads and warned voters about special interests: "they are spending because they believe the beneficiary of their spending...will be a dependable vote in support of their special interests."
As a Council member, Friedson already used his position as PHP Committee Chair to push through every major developer tax break and rezoning of the last six years. The County Executive is the most powerful position in county government — with authority over permitting, budgets, and enforcement that goes far beyond a single committee chair. If the damage he's done from a Council seat cost taxpayers hundreds of millions, imagine what he does with the executive branch behind him.
The developers, landlords, and real estate lobby spending $5 million to put him there know exactly what they're buying.