| Here's a sneak peak from John Adams about Dennis Unsworth slapping down Trevis Butcher's "Montanans In Action" for violating Montana campaign finance law during the 2006 election while campaigning for Howie Rich's terrible trio of ballot initiatives - CI 98, CI 97, and CI 154.
According to Adams' report, Unsworth found "substantial evidence" that "Montanans in Action" "violated the state's campaign finance reporting and disclosure laws by refusing to disclose the source of the $1.2 million the group spent on three ballot initiatives in 2006." Unsworth found "detailed connections" between Butcher's group and its 2006 campaign and Howie Rich's "Americans for Limited Government."
Not surprising if you followed Montana blogs that summer, when it was exposed that Howie Rich and the ALG were funding similar ballot initiatives across the country. (And, of course, Rich's own website eventually admitted its funding of the effort in Montana.) Montana's effort to put the initiatives on the ballot was marked by pervasive fraud from the paid signature gatherers shipped in from across the country, and the initiatives were thrown out, and an investigation into "Montanans In Action" was kicked off.
The result was this report.
Butcher's reaction? He said it was "nothing more than a political payback vendetta for stepping on the toes of big government by supporting term limits on Montana politicians."
Heh. Not entirely out of character for these *sshats. In short, apparently Mr. Butcher and his ilk believe they are above the law.
Dennis Unsworth:
The 2006 tactics suggest that the proponents of CI-97, CI-98, and I-154 may be more interested in seeking to invalidate campaign reporting laws that require public disclosure of the true source of money used to finance express campaign speech.
Sounds about right. Total contempt for the legal processes that comprise our democracy. |
