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The Colorado Statesman, Sep 3, 2010
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The Coloradoan, Sep 3, 2010
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The Colorado Independent, Sep 3, 2010
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The Denver Post, Sep 3, 2010
Colorado Ethics Watch Sues Senate Majority Fund For Violating Campaign Finance Laws
527 Failed to Report Thousands Spent on Political Ads
For Immediate Release: DENVER – Colorado Ethics Watch, a non-partisan, non-profit legal watchdog group, today filed a complaint with the Colorado Secretary of State against the Senate Majority Fund LLC, a political organization registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Colorado Secretary of State as a 527, for failure to report thousands of dollars in campaign spending.
State law requires a political organization like the Senate Majority Fund (SMF) to report any spending that exceeds $20 in any one reporting period. According to documents obtained by Ethics Watch, SMF purchased at least $25,000 of television air time for ads supporting state senate candidate Libby Szabo in June 2008. The ad began airing on several Comcast channels on June 25 and is still running. Reports filed by SMF to date do not disclose spending on the television ad.
If campaign finance laws are properly enforced, SMF would be fined $50 per day for each day the missing information is past due.
“Complete disclosure is not just a technicality, it is vital to the integrity of our electoral process,” said Ethics Watch Director Chantell Taylor. “By filing this complaint we will hold the Senate Majority Fund accountable for scoffing its obligation to provide transparency and for deceiving voters.”
To read the complaint click here.
