Campaign filing mistakes charged against Republicans

By RICHARD HANNERS

for the Bigfork Eagle

A Kalispell man has filed charges against the Flathead County Republican Central Committee and the Flathead County Republican Women’s Club, claiming both groups failed to file required financial reports for 2006.

Richard Kuhl, a retired schoolteacher, filed the charges with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices office in Helena on Feb. 22.

“I’m guilty as charged, and I take responsibility,” Central Committee chairman Bob Keenan said.

Keenan, who served as president of the Montana Senate in 2003 but was term-limited out last year, said he has been going through shoe boxes of paperwork dating back to the 2004 election.

The Central Committee has had four treasurers over that time period, Keenan said. The required reports for 2004 and 2006 have been submitted, and he was still working on 2005, he said.

Kuhl said Keenan “should resign from his job of advising Montana Speaker of the House Scott Sales (R-Bozeman) until the proper reports are filed and approved by the Commissioner of Political Practices.”

Keenan said he is an employee of the Montana House, earning $14 an hour. Most of the work is done over the phone, and he has logged 65 to 75 hours so far this year, he said.

Kuhl, who ran as a Democrat for House District 77 in the 2002, losing to Republican Rod Bitney, emphasized the importance of campaign-finance fillings.

“Without these financial reports, there is no way the two groups can be fully accountable for the money they both received and donated in 2006,” he said.

According to documents he filed with the state, the Central Committee received $23,000 from the political action committee Excellence in Voting. Semitool founder and CEO Raymon Thompson is the chairman and deputy treasurer of the PAC.

In addition, Kuhl claims, at least seven legislative candidates from the Flathead Valley reported receiving money from the Central Committee, ranging from $150 to $500.

“It is clear that the Flathead County Republican Central Committee both received and disbursed campaign money, but it has yet to file the proper financial disclosure statements as required,” Kuhl complained to the Commissioner of Political Practices. “Your office needs to correct this situation immediately. I am shocked that you haven’t taken any action up to this point. Why not?”

Commissioner Dennis Unsworth said Kuhl’s charges will be investigated, with interviews conducted by the Montana Attorney General’s office.

The Flathead County Republican Women’s Club filed the required financial reports on Jan. 28, and their reports will be checked out, he said.

The process is complaint-driven, with some filings checked out sooner because of statutory requirements. Cross-checking between candidates and their funding sources typically doesn’t happen until May or June, Unsworth said.

Over the 25 years that the Office of Political Practices has existed, the number of complaints averages about eight to 10 per year, Unsworth said. That number significantly increased this year to about 30, he said.

That means extra work for the office, which is already burdened with converting information on handwritten forms submitted by candidates and political groups into computer files, he said.