Face The State Staff Report
A Republican lawmaker today filed a campaign finance complaint against Gov. Bill Ritter's inaugural committee, following revelations last week the corporation's funds were used to pay for campaign expenses in violation of state elections law.
Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colo. Springs, filed the complaint with the Division of Administrative Hearings, which handles campaign finance proceedings for the Secretary of State. "This is a major concern," he said. "Three hundred thousand dollars was transferred from a private Ritter inaugural company to his campaign funds."
The complaint alleges Ritter's inaugural funds, mostly corporate donations, were transferred to the Governor's campaign account to pay for campaign debts and staff salaries. Under Colorado's Amendment 27, candidates for office may not receive contributions from corporations, and donations from individuals may not exceed $525 per campaign cycle.
Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer says the Governor's office has handed over relevant documents to state officials and the Denver district attorney. "If there are other interested parties who believe that this matter should be investigated, then we welcome that," he said.
Lambert sees the questionable spending as a broader indicator of Ritter's trustworthiness: "If a person cannot manage their own large campaign finance expenditures, they probably have a problem managing the money of the people of the State of Colorado."
A copy of the complaint is available here.