| Mike Dennison wrote a story today about how Trevis Butcher wants state Commissioner of Political Practices, Dennis Unsworth, off his back. Unsworth is investigating Butcher because of his involvement with the "terrible trio" of Howie-Rich-funded anti-government initiatives, CIs-154, -97, and -98. Butcher's group, "Montanans in Action," funded the initiatives to the tune of $1.18 million.
Remember, these initiatives and their zombie brethren sprung up all across the country and were funded by a single man - libertarian Howie Rich - through front organizations (like Butcher's), who hired professional signature gatherers to fill petitions. Only the process was marked by "pervasive fraud" -- the gatherers lied about the content in the petitions, and the initiatives were thrown out.
The report explains why Unsworth is investigating Butcher's group:
Montanans in Action was formed in early 2006 as a nonprofit group for "educational" and political purposes, Butcher said. Such groups don't have to reveal their supporters - unless they act as an independent political committee that primarily supplies money to political campaigns.
Unsworth said his investigation seeks to establish whether MIA is an independent political committee, which would make it subject to reporting who gave it the money routed to the campaigns of the three ballot measures.
Butcher and his attorneys have accused Unsworth of conducting a "politically motivated witch hunt," notes that Unsworth is "active in Democratic circles," and claims against the group are "wild accusations."
Only thing is, antipathy for Butcher and his methods are bipartisan. It was the terrible trio of initiatives that inspired Senate Bill 96, a bipartisan effort to curtail the kind of wild, mercenary signature gathering so pervasive under Butcher's organization. (SB 96 passed with overwhelming support, and was signed into law by Governor Schweitzer.) Meanwhile, Daddy Butcher's initiative reform bill - which would have punished the groups who brought action against Baby Butcher's bills and made it harder for initiatives to be thrown out - died in a Republican-majority House committee.
There's no doubt Butcher's activities were suspiciously in alignment with Howie Rich's. More than one investigative journalist tied the money here in Montana to Rich. And Rich himself admitted that he financially supported the efforts here to make the terrible trio of initiatives law.
Butcher has no case here, and should hand over the requested documents. Montana has a right to know who's sponsoring political activity in the state. |
