June 26, 2015 11:48 AM UTC

Ted Harvey Still Raising "ScamPAC" Dollars

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• by: Colorado Pols

Back in January, we took note of a story in Politico about political action committees (PACs) set up to raise funds for a variety of conservative Republican candidates and causes. The problem with the committees profiled in this story is that the overwhelming majority of funds raised by them appeared to be paying for staff salaries and overhead–with only a small percentage of moneys raised actually going to fund the public-facing political activities of the group.

One of the so-called “ScamPACs” mentioned in that story was the Stop Hillary PAC, whose chairman is none other than former Colorado Sen. Ted Harvey of Highlands Ranch: the same Ted Harvey currently at the center of a major controversy that has riven the Colorado Republican Party, as the failure to hire Harvey as executive director by GOP chairman Steve House resulted (at least in part) in the legally dubious confrontation between House and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman that has dominated political headlines in Colorado for the last two weeks.

Well folks, it looks like Harvey, while he waits for the infighting on his behalf within the Colorado GOP to resolve itself, is keeping plenty busy sending out fundraising emails for the Stop Hillary PAC! Apparently, a damning national news story about PACs that spend an average of 12% of their take on actual programmatic work hasn’t even slowed him down. From Harvey’s missive to Stop Hillary PAC supporters just this week:

Friend we’re launching a critical goal to reach 1 million Americans strong against Hillary.

**If just 786 donors step up in the next 24 hours, we will be able to reach 1 million Americans strong against Hillary BEFORE our June 30th deadline.**

Click this link to donate $15 or $35 securely and help us recruit 20 more Americans to our movement to Stop Hillary?

Your donation of $15 or $35 will go directly towards our efforts to build an army 1 million strong against Hillary Clinton — before she can win the nomination.

But as we prepare for what is sure to be one of the biggest political wars ever waged — I am certain I cannot do it without the support of patriots, like you, who love and stand ready to defend America…

As we noted a couple of days ago, had Harvey been hired as executive director of the Colorado GOP, his role as chairman of the Stop Hillary PAC may have presented a whole new set of election law problems. But beyond that, the stigma of bringing on a “ScamPAC” artist to run the state Republican Party would have been exceedingly bad for the party’s image and fundraising. Bad enough that we would fully accept that as a justifiable reason for House to not hire Harvey, which House ultimately chose not to do despite Harvey’s very public presumption that it was a done deal.

Unfortunately for Steve House, as we now know, Ted Harvey…has powerful friends.