Koch campaign fund beneficiary of the Beachcomber grifter

Soon to be embattled incumbent?
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

– News about Quincy from Quincy Quarry News

Koch campaign fund a beneficiary of the alleged Beachcomber grifter.

While locals, including the now surely former as well as now homeless girlfriend of Scott Wolas, have found out the hard way that the person they had instead long known as Eugene Grathwohl was both a fraud as well as an alleged nine figure embezzler, at least one party benefited financially from this allegedly longtime grifter:  Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch.

The former Beachcomber restaurant and music club
An old beachcomber.com image

On February 22 of last year per Office of Campaign and Political Finance (“OCPF”) records, “Eugene Grathwohl,” his now surely former girlfriend Lorraine Croft and his former real estate broker employer Arthur Foley are noted per Office of Campaign and Finance records as having each contributing $500.00 to the Koch campaign fund.

As cited in the South Shore Broadsheet, Croft and Foley are among the victims of Wolas’ alleged grift of a scam to “invest” with him to buy and then redo the now closed venue of the former Beachcomber restaurant and music club on Wollaston Beach.

Another close shave impending?
A YouTube video still image

Such concurrent as well as sizeable contributions are often referred to as “bundled” contributions by those familiar with such activities.

For example, lobbyists and their clients. 

While bundling is perfectly legal so long as they are not otherwise illegally done, sizeable bundled contribution totals do tend to at least pique the interest – if not also the favor –  of their recipient.

Also per OCPF records, the $500.00 contributions to the Koch campaign fund by Wolas and Croft are the only contributions ever listed as made by either of them to any Massachusetts local or state election campaign fund.

Mayor Koch’s spokesmodel
An ill-advised Facebook photo posting

Conversely, OCPF records note that Foley has contributed an additional $750 to Koch in recent years after having previously been a longtime as well as generous contributor to now former State Treasurer but still a Quincy resident Tim Cahill.

As cited in the South Shore Broadsheet, Mayor Koch’s designated flack catcher and spokesmodel noted the following:

“Christopher Walker, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas Koch, said Grathwohl met with the mayor in-person about a year ago to explain his development plans for the Beachcomber site.  At that time, Grathwohl said he wanted to build a high-end restaurant on the site of the former landmark music venue, which is owned by the McGettrick family.”

Koch for Quincy. Koch also for sale?
A Quincy Quarry Photojournalist file photo

“Walker said it’s common for prospective developers and landowners to approach the mayor and solicit his feedback on their plans.”

While QQ is not going to call this a case of pay for play, it would still appear that at least access was perhaps facilitated by the sizeable bundling of contributions to the Koch campaign fund.

That and the fact that it would appear per Quincy Quarry’s review that at least $200,000.00 of roughly the last million dollars raised by the Koch campaign fund was provided to it by parties variously tied to various real estate development proposals proposed to be developed in Quincy and thus roughly twice the amount that has been cited in the South Shore Broadsheet.

Going one, going twice, going away for 5 to 10?
An old FlynnFlam photo

In event, expect the Quarry to monitor both this breaking situation as well as continue to leak word of what is looking to be going down on federally indicted alleged embezzler Dan FlynnFlam and who surely but coincidentally was arguably Mayor Koch’s childhood best friend, reportedly a one-time employer of Koch when he was first running for mayor as well as a variously questioned seller of property to the City of Quincy.

QQ disclaimer