The Lehigh County Election Office reported the Friends of Palagonia Committee spent more than $40,000 in its failed attempt to win the Democratic nomination for Whitehall Township mayor.

Gerard Palagonia was defeated by more than a two-to-one margin in the primary election to oust incumbent Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. on the Democratic ballot in May.

The report lists some heavy-hitter contributors, such as Abraham Atiyeh and Friends of Ed Pawlowski, Allentown's mayor.

Palagonia utilized H Street Strategies, Allentown, for a campaign run by consultant Michael Fleck. Fleck abruptly left town after the FBI, following a grand jury, began examining contracts in the City of Allentown. No one in the city has been named a target of the probe.

In Palagonia's post-election report, a $15,000 debt is allegedly in dispute. PNC Bank is listed as the creditor, with notation described as a credit department for mail payments to H Street Strategies on May 5, just days before the primary election.

H Street Strategies/ Fleck, Palagonia's committee report states, was paid $2,500 and $1,500 pre-election and then $8,000 and $2,100 post-election.

The post-election expenditures filed by Palagonia's committee and signed by Palagonia show H Street Strategies, listed at 840 Hamilton St., Allentown, was paid $6,300 for GOTV expenses.

The list of contributors to Palagonia's campaign include Friends of Dan McNeill, $250; T & M Engineering PAC, Middletown, N.J., $250; Lehigh Law Enforcement Association, Allentown, $150.

Friends of Ed Pawlowski, $4,000; IBEW 375 PAC, Allentown, $500; International Union of Operating Engineers, $1,000; Friends of Joe Davis, Allentown, $500.

And Abraham Atiyeh, developer and executive of Whitehall Manor, $6,000; M. Makhoul, Allentown, $2,000; former Whitehall Township Commissioner Kenneth Snyder, $500; Sovereign Enterprises/Jim Hickey, $500; Jerry Mekolichick, $500; Palagonia, $320; Asbestos Workers PAC, Lanham, Md., $250; Friends of Jerry Palagonia, $1,500 in a post-election filing; IBEW 98 political fund, Philadelphia, $2,500; Iron Workers 420 political fund, Reading, $500; and several smaller donations of $100 and $150.

Further contributors were Sean Boyle, Macungie, $1,000; Sovereign Enterprises/James Hickey, $500; and Makhoul Electric, Allentown, $2,000.