Wait a minute- Lewis has a dark money anonymous blog run by dark money group running his campaign. Complaining about dark $? #MTal #MTPol
— Aaron Flint (@aaronflint) February 12, 2014
Here’s the story from CNN:
At least 15 websites that appear to be official campaign sites for Democratic candidates, are actually the handiwork of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
”I have seen a lot of unfortunate uses of deception in the last few elections,” Lewis told CNN. “This is just another in a long list of that.”
Lewis said Montana voters will be able to “see right through a website that is based on deception.” Still he bemoans what he calls outside interests backed by “dark money” trying to trick voters in his state.
Speaking of Dark Money- there’s a whole long list of stories detailing the Lewis’ campaign (and Gov. Steve Bullock) connections to dark money. See the list below.
Which leads me to a piece by Dave Skinner in The Flathead Beacon this week. Skinner raises the question- is Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices just out on a witch hunt, or is he really looking to crack down on dark money? If he’s not on a witch hunt, Hilltop (and the John Walsh/John Lewis campaigns) would be right in his crosshairs.
From Skinner’s column:
Since taking office June 10, Mr. Motl has been rather busy, moving over 40 cases from investigation to conclusion/prosecution. Many of Motl’s decisions have a common thread: They concern complaints against candidates that were “helped” by an anonymously funded, conservative political entity known as Western Tradition Partnership-then-American Tradition Partnership, or WTP/ATP, which was active in Montana and Colorado.
So, is Commissioner Motl enforcing the laws “in a fair and impartial manner” as he should, or engaging in what others (mostly conservatives caught in the WTP/ATP dragnet) call a “witch hunt?”
I don’t know yet. A number of other political complaints not involving WTP/ATP are yet to be resolved by Mr. Motl’s promised deadline of March 31. Trust me, when those cases are ruled upon, then everyone will know whether or not Mr. Motl is a witch hunter.
1 Montana-tied Dark Money Firm Expands to Colorado – Relevance: 1018
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/8951/Default.aspx – 5/21/2013 2:01:11 PM
2 5 Months Later, Bullock Camp Responds – Relevance: 1014
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/9411/Default.aspx – 7/3/2013 9:52:39 AM
3 Formal Ethics Complaint Leveled Against Bullock – Relevance: 1007
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/8747/Default.aspx – 3/26/2013 11:37:34 AM
4 Tester Aide Joins Dark Money Group – Relevance: 1006
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/8464/Default.aspx – 2/4/2013 9:46:03 AM
5 Political Trough: OK to Shoot Drones in Colorado? – Relevance: 1005
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/9630/Default.aspx – 8/12/2013 4:21:25 PM
6 Bullock Ties to Dark Money Groups Detailed – Relevance: 1004
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/8545/Default.aspx – 2/14/2013 12:12:16 PM
7 Political Trough: Forcing the President’s Hand on Keystone – Political Trough: – Relevance: 1003
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/9191/Default.aspx – 5/28/2013 2:57:04 PM
8 MoveOn Claims Gun Control Victory in Montana – Relevance: 1003
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/9211/Default.aspx – 5/31/2013 9:20:33 AM
9 Political Trough: Dem Rep Disappointed with Bullock – Relevance: 1003
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/9341/Default.aspx – 6/21/2013 4:54:17 PM
10 Adams: Dems Looking for Someone Besides Me – Relevance: 1002
http://www.northernbroadcasting.com/Talk/FlintReportHeadlines/tabid/519/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/9734/Default.aspx – 8/28/2013 8:56:35 AM