UPDATED POST- GFT’s John Adams gets response from Schweitzer advisor, excerpt below. One additional note- the rumor among several top Montana Republicans is that former Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) is planning a July 9th announcement that he will run for the US Senate. I have not been able to confirm that with Democratic sources close to the Governor however.
Congressman Steve Daines “bumps up fundraising” according to Politico. This news comes as another potential 2014 US Senate candidate in Montana is being questioned over ties to what appears to be a Democratic dark money group connected to former Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT).
First, the news from Politico:
Montana Rep. Steve Daines raised about $415,000 in the second quarter of the year as he weighs a possible 2014 Senate campaign, a source close to the first-term Republican’s political operation said.
That figure – covering the period from April through June – reflects a modest but noticeable acceleration of Daines’s fundraising. He reported raising a quarter-million dollars in the first three months of 2013; should he run for reelection to the House, Daines would have little reason to expect a difficult fight.
Politico then added that Daines is taking a “serious look” at making a run for the Senate.
Meanwhile, as former Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) is also expected to be a potential 2014 US Senate candidate, more details are now available showing connections between Schweitzer and a nonprofit that Fox Business Network’s David Asman says appears to be “skirting an IRS rule.”
The Great Falls Tribune’s John Adams added this to the coverage on his MTLowdown blog:
One point FOX didn’t pick up on was the fact that the treasurer of the Council for Sustainable America is, or was, Dave Gallik. Gallik is the man Schweitzer appointed in 2011 to be the commissioner of political practices, Montana’s top political campaign and ethics enforcer.
Media Trackers Montana in April reported that Gallik was Schweitzer’s former attorney and served as treasurer for Council for Sustainable America, which received a $335,000 contribution from the Democratic Governors Association four months after Schweitzer became chair of the committee.
There are more questions than answers stemming from the FOX News report. What is Schweitzer’s tie to these political organizations and what is their true purpose? Who’s funding them? Why was Dave Gallik acting as treasurer of a 501(c)(4) political group while at the same serving as commissioner of political practices in apparent violation of state ethics laws? The law says the commissioner of political practices “may not knowingly…participate in any political activity or in a political campaign.” Was Gallik, while acting as the commissioner of political practices, doing campaign work on behalf of Schweitzer?
UPDATE:
The Montana GOP, via Facebook, says the Schweitzer camp is in “damage control mode” following the Fox Business report, as John Adams now has this report featuring a response from a Schweitzer advisor:
“The only connection whatsoever between the governor’s campaign and the entity that was shut down three years ago (Council for Sustainable America) is my personal P.O. Box,” Hall said.
Hall said he has been a political consultant since 2004. Prior to moving to Montana, Hall did consulting work for the Democratic Governor’s Association, which Schweitzer chaired in 2009. Hall later moved to Helena, where he did private consulting work until Schweitzer hired him in November 2010 as senior adviser.
Former Rep. Dave Gallik, D-Helena, the man Schweitzer appointed in 2011 as Commissioner of Political Practices, was treasurer of the Helena-based group until it dissolved in 2010. Gallik’s signature appeared on the group’s 2010 990 form in August 2011, but Hall said the group had not been active for more than a year at that point and the 990 filing was a required formality.
Related- is Target Soon to Offer Bolo Ties?
Politico’s Morning Energy has this:
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has joined the board of director for Target, the retail giant announced Tuesday. “Ken brings a unique background and perspective to Target that will be invaluable as we continue to explore and seize new opportunities to drive profitable growth in this rapidly-changing environment,” Target Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said.
Next stop: A line of affordable but stylish bolos? (h/t Bob King)
PRIOR POST
Montana Media Trackers just sent out this out via Twitter:
Schweitzer group’s address is a P.O. Box. Who was it that slammed ATP for “living in a post office box?” http://t.co/5LaVx13iSl #MTpol
— Media Trackers MT (@MediaTrackersMT) July 2, 2013
Here’s the full quote via KXLH.com:
Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) attended the rally and said, “ATP is not a person, not even close. They live in a post office box. It’s not possible that a corporation is a person. They don’t bleed. They don’t fight for our country. They can’t be a person. I have nothing against a corporation, it’s a collection of people. But it is not a person.”
INITIAL POST
In case you missed it, the Fox Business Network featured a report Monday morning by David Asman, who says a non-profit organization tied to former Governor Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) is skirting IRS rules on political activity. (*previous sentence slightly modified from original post*)
Asman zeroed in on a group called the Council for a Sustainable America, a PAC, which made a large contribution to a group called the American Sustainability Project.
We sent a reporter there to knock on the door- they’ve never heard of it.So we’re trying as best as we can to figure out who represents this organization- what they do- and as far as we can tell, all they do is hold cash for Brian Schweitzer.
Click below to watch the video:
Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com
The Montana GOP already seized on the video, shooting out this message via Twitter:
Brian Schweitzer caught in dark money expose! #mtsen #mtpol http://t.co/8D6p9hAfwT
— MT Republican Party (@MontanaGOP) July 1, 2013
FBN Video: Schweitzer Non-Profit Skirts IRS Rule
UPDATED POST- GFT’s John Adams Has an Update from the Schweitzer Camp, Excerpt Below
Congressman Steve Daines “bumps up fundraising” according to Politico. This news comes as another potential 2014 US Senate candidate in Montana is being questioned over ties to what appears to be a Democratic dark money group connected to former Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT).
First, the news from Politico:
Montana Rep. Steve Daines raised about $415,000 in the second quarter of the year as he weighs a possible 2014 Senate campaign, a source close to the first-term Republican’s political operation said.
That figure – covering the period from April through June – reflects a modest but noticeable acceleration of Daines’s fundraising. He reported raising a quarter-million dollars in the first three months of 2013; should he run for reelection to the House, Daines would have little reason to expect a difficult fight.
Politico then added that Daines is taking a “serious look” at making a run for the Senate.
Meanwhile, as former Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) is also expected to be a potential 2014 US Senate candidate, more details are now available showing connections between Schweitzer and a nonprofit that Fox Business Network’s David Asman says appears to be “skirting an IRS rule.”
The Great Falls Tribune’s John Adams added this to the coverage on his MTLowdown blog:
One point FOX didn’t pick up on was the fact that the treasurer of the Council for Sustainable America is, or was, Dave Gallik. Gallik is the man Schweitzer appointed in 2011 to be the commissioner of political practices, Montana’s top political campaign and ethics enforcer.
Media Trackers Montana in April reported that Gallik was Schweitzer’s former attorney and served as treasurer for Council for Sustainable America, which received a $335,000 contribution from the Democratic Governors Association four months after Schweitzer became chair of the committee.
There are more questions than answers stemming from the FOX News report. What is Schweitzer’s tie to these political organizations and what is their true purpose? Who’s funding them? Why was Dave Gallik acting as treasurer of a 501(c)(4) political group while at the same serving as commissioner of political practices in apparent violation of state ethics laws? The law says the commissioner of political practices “may not knowingly…participate in any political activity or in a political campaign.” Was Gallik, while acting as the commissioner of political practices, doing campaign work on behalf of Schweitzer?
UPDATE:
The Montana GOP, via Facebook, says the Schweitzer camp is in “damage control mode” following the Fox Business report, as John Adams now has this report featuring a response from a Schweitzer advisor:
Schweitzer aide’s PO Box ‘only connection’ to dark money PAC
A former top aide to Brian Schweitzer said his personal post office box is the only connection between the former governor and a pair of dark money political groups in the news this week.
“The only connection whatsoever between the governor’s campaign and the entity that was shut down three years ago (Council for Sustainable America) is my personal P.O. Box,” Hall said.
Hall said he has been a political consultant since 2004. Prior to moving to Montana, Hall did consulting work for the Democratic Governor’s Association, which Schweitzer chaired in 2009. Hall later moved to Helena, where he did private consulting work until Schweitzer hired him in November 2010 as senior adviser.
Hall said the Council for Sustainable America was one of his clients from before he worked for Schweitzer in the governor’s office. Hall said after Schweitzer won re-election in 2008 the governor shut down his political campaign, but since the campaign still had some money left over it was required by law to file campaign reports.
Former Rep. Dave Gallik, D-Helena, the man Schweitzer appointed in 2011 as Commissioner of Political Practices, was treasurer of the Helena-based group until it dissolved in 2010. Gallik’s signature appeared on the group’s 2010 990 form in August 2011, but Hall said the group had not been active for more than a year at that point and the 990 filing was a required formality.
Related- is Target Soon to Offer Bolo Ties?
Politico’s Morning Energy has this:
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has joined the board of director for Target, the retail giant announced Tuesday. “Ken brings a unique background and perspective to Target that will be invaluable as we continue to explore and seize new opportunities to drive profitable growth in this rapidly-changing environment,” Target Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said.
Next stop: A line of affordable but stylish bolos? (h/t Bob King)
PRIOR POST
Montana Media Trackers just sent out this out via Twitter:
Schweitzer group’s address is a P.O. Box. Who was it that slammed ATP for “living in a post office box?” http://t.co/5LaVx13iSl #MTpol
— Media Trackers MT (@MediaTrackersMT) July 2, 2013
Here’s the full quote via KXLH.com:
Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) attended the rally and said, “ATP is not a person, not even close. They live in a post office box. It’s not possible that a corporation is a person. They don’t bleed. They don’t fight for our country. They can’t be a person. I have nothing against a corporation, it’s a collection of people. But it is not a person.”
INITIAL POST
In case you missed it, the Fox Business Network featured a report Monday morning by David Asman, who says a non-profit organization tied to former Governor Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) is skirting IRS rules on political activity. (*previous sentence slightly modified from original post*)
Asman zeroed in on a group called the Council for a Sustainable America, a PAC, which made a large contribution to a group called the American Sustainability Project.
We sent a reporter there to knock on the door- they’ve never heard of it.So we’re trying as best as we can to figure out who represents this organization- what they do- and as far as we can tell, all they do is hold cash for Brian Schweitzer.
Click below to watch the video:
Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com
The Montana GOP already seized on the video, shooting out this message via Twitter:
Brian Schweitzer caught in dark money expose! #mtsen #mtpol http://t.co/8D6p9hAfwT
— MT Republican Party (@MontanaGOP) July 1, 2013