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July 06, 2010 04:49 PM UTC

Maes: Tea Party Fav Caught with Hand in Cookie Jar

  • 38 Comments
  • by: ClubTwitty

(H/T to Ralphie… – promoted by ClubTwitty)

Do as I say, not as I do.

Running as a fiscal conservative, prepared to beg forgiveness from the world’s richest industry, and touting his experience as a businessman, Dan Maes–seeking the Republican nomination for Governor–has been popped for campaign finance violations.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel is reporting:

Republican gubernatorial contender Dan Maes is expected to be ordered to pay what could be the largest campaign finance fine ever levied against a candidate by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.

In response to a complaint filed with the state by a Grand Valley voter, the Evergreen businessman has admitted to numerous campaign finance violations and agreed to pay nearly $27,000 in fines, according to his campaign’s response to a complaint filed last month by Grand Junction resident Christopher Klitzke. He could be ordered to pay the fines as early as today.

The complaint said Maes had improperly reimbursed thousands of dollars to himself for mileage expenses over the past year, had failed to note occupations on some donations, and received an illegal contribution from at least one corporation, said Klitzke’s lawyer, Grand Junction attorney Erik Grove.

“It was as clear as day when you start seeing tens of thousand of dollars flowing from the campaign to his personal account,” Grove said. “I’ve been doing campaign finance litigation for six, seven years now, and this immediately sends up a red flag when you see tons of itemized money flowing from the candidate’s account. As time went by, it got worse. He was transferring $9,000 at one time from his campaign account.”

Since last summer, Maes has paid himself $44,837 for mileage, according to his own campaign finance filings with the state.

Dan Maes has run on two platforms–gutting state spending and groveling before the oil and gas drillers.  His credentials–other than not being Scott McInnis–include his experience as a businessman.  

Now the Tea Party favorite, who won a surprise victory over establishment candidate Scott McInnis at the Assembly, has acknowledged that he was using campaign funds and donations contributions [CT edit] as his personal piggy bank.

For a few months last year, he was paying money to himself almost on a weekly basis, totalling $3,325 in November and $3,650 in December.

Starting this year, he began to pay himself on the 15th of each month, starting with $9,000 in January and then $5,000 a month in February, March and April.

Already well behind McInnis in fundraising, Maes has been assessed record fines.

In his response to the complaint, filed by Denver attorneys Ross Pulkrabek and Daniel Wartell, Maes said he would not contest any of the claims lodged against him and agreed to pay all fines suggested in Klitzke’s complaint.

“Respondents do not contest that the contributions identified in the ‘Second Claimed Violation’ omitted employer and/or occupation information that should have been included on reports with the Secretary of State’s Office,” Maes’ response said of one of the four violations cited in the complaint. “Respondents also do not contest that some or all of those contributions should have been returned within 30 days after receipt.”

Maes’ response said he would accept a $2,838 fine for the first claim, and $11,250 for the second, both of which dealt with how contributions were reported.

Though Maes said that state law was unclear as to how to report certain expenses, he agreed to pay a fine of $50 a day from Jan. 20 until the matter is settled for the third allegation, and another $50 a day from May 3 for the fourth claim. If a judgment is entered against Maes today, that means $9,350 for the third claim, and $3,200 for the final one.

Twitty’s Assessment: Time for the fork, this turkey’s done.    

Maes' raiding of his campaign funds means...

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38 thoughts on “Maes: Tea Party Fav Caught with Hand in Cookie Jar”

  1. What is he spending on?  Some people go to foreign countries to solicit campaign funds, some go on travel to somewhere.  And, I have heard rumors that some pay for their mistresses out of campaign funds (and get their husbands/boyfriends/girlfriends paid off too).

    But where is the good Republican going with the cash?

    1. …based on IRS mileage rates?

      It’s been many years since I had to know such things, but I think it was up around 50 centavos a mile way back.  

      That’s a LOT of trips from Evergreen to GJ!

      1. Almost hit $.60/mile in 2008.

        Its 250 miles from Denver to GJ.  So, yeah, that’s a lot of ‘trips’ about one a day (or one round trip every two days) for a year…

        I was hoping that Dan the sycophant grafter could hang in there until August.  But now I think he drops out before then. Good news for Scooter…

    3. “So, hmm, well you see, I was doing my job as a patriot and I needed some money.  So I was using the money you have already given me.  But, well, you see, it seems there is a technical problem with me actually just taking your money.  So, well, hmm, I need some more.”

    4. Colorado Constitution Article XXVIII

      Section 10. Sanctions.

      (1) Any person who violates any provision of this article relating to contribution or voluntary spending limits shall be subject to a civil penalty of at least double and up to five times the amount contributed, received, or spent in violation of the applicable provision of this article. Candidates shall be personally liable for penalties imposed upon the candidate’s committee.

      [emphasis added]

      1. That the candidate can’t bankrupt the committee and use that to avoid paying sanctions.  My experience is that candidate committees pay these fines all the time.  

          1. if they have the money.  The fact that candidates are ultimately personally liable for their committee obligations doesn’t take away that a fine can be paid imposed against the committee can be paid by the committee.

      2. about past practice–fines get paid from the committees. I don’t think that is consistent with the language–and intent–of the Constitution. It wouldn’t be the first time, however, that plain language gets twisted when applied to campaign finance provisions.

        Unfortunately, it means that those able to raise adequate money have little or no personal financial risk in committing violations–and thus, according to conventional market philosophy, no financial incentive to follow the rules.

  6. Maes makes him lok reasonable and even statesmanlike. That will help Scooter in the general as well. I hope it doesn’t help him as much as the GOP hopes it will. Scooter is the kind of candidate that is best kept out of the spotlight and away from a microhone.

  7. Anyone knows all you have to do is deny it or ignore it and the SOS will let you go with a stern warning or a fraction (with a large denominator) of the potential fine.

  9. No job.

    Using campaign dollars to support himself as he has no job.

    Loses at the caucuses.

    Wins at the State Assembly.

    Scott McInnis is hurting.

    Scott better watch out.  Ballots are being mailed out for most of the State in two weeks.  He better start spending money on TV or risk losing to the Colorado Republican version of Alvin Greene

    2. that people attacked Obama for not having enough experience in the “political realm”, yet these same people are voting for Maes and denying his lack of ANY political experience.  

  11. for finding the time to write and post this. Such a juicy story should not languish in the open thread comments.  

    Colorado Republican candidates:  the gifts that keep on giving.  

          1. You think maybe he was paying for the groceries and the home phone and electricity?  Or just having a high old time driving around the state, getting away from the wife and children.

            While it’s a good chunk of money to us plebes, seems a little paltry for the Swiss bank account route.

            69, gotta tell ya, I love your sig line!

  12. Anyone else notice that the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel seems to be miles ahead of the Denver Post in uncovering these stories?

    What’s up with that?

  16. Just got an email from Sara Coburn, Dan Maes’ Adams County Campaign Chair, which says in part:

    Hello again, to all of my Wonderful volunteers and Dan Maes supporters.  The time has come for me to once again, ask for your help.  With the August primary a month away, it is more important than ever to get Dans name out there and raise some more money.  

    Guess the fleet of Hummers is running low on fuel.

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