Jury: Montana lawmaker coordinated with dark-money groups

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Jury: Montana lawmaker coordinated with dark-money groups

Matt Volz, Associated Press
Updated 10:00 pm, Friday, April 1, 2016

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A jury found Friday that a Montana lawmaker coordinated with and received services from conservative corporate groups in violation of state campaign laws, a ruling that could lead to his removal from office and bolster the state's defense of its low campaign contribution limits.

Rep. Art Wittich, R-Bozeman, took $19,599 worth of in-kind contributions that he didn't disclose from organizations affiliated with the National Right to Work Committee during his 2010 primary election campaign, the jury found. The contributions included campaign consulting, direct mail, voter data, opposition research and website design.

Plus, Right to Work-affiliated gun-rights, anti-abortion, anti-tax, resource development and anti-union groups blanketed voters in Wittich's district with letters supporting him and attacking his primary election opponent, attorneys for the state said.

Candidates cannot receive contributions from corporations and must fully report donations and spending under Montana law. The jury's decision was 10-2. Eight votes were needed for a verdict.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Jury-Montana-lawmaker-coordinated-with-7223748.php

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Wittich found guilty of campaign-finance violations

By Mike Dennison - MTN News

HELENA -

A Helena jury Friday evening found Republican state Rep. Art Wittich guilty of accepting corporate contributions and illegally coordinating his 2010 campaign with a web of secretive, outside groups.

The District Court jury deliberated for about three-and-a-half hours before reaching its civil verdict, which was announced shortly after 7 p.m.

The six-man, six-woman jury said Wittich, a Bozeman attorney, accepted $19,500 of services from several corporations affiliated with the anti-union National Right to Work Committee, when he ran for the state Senate in 2010.

Afterward, the man who brought and investigated the charges – Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl – said the jury’s verdict sends a strong message about how Montana’s elections should operate.

More:
http://www.kpax.com/story/31625848/wittich-found-guilty-of-campaign-finance-violations

[Ford_Prefect]

1. Couldn't happen to a more deserving, arrogant and destructive piece of privileged corporate shill.

Art Wittich should be made to eat every page of nasty, vile and mean spirited legislation he's forced down the throats of Montana Citizens since he came into office, and then forced to walk the entire state and apologize in person to everyone he has hurt.

[AxionExcel]

2. At this point the Republican party is a wholesale criminal enterprise

They will do any secret, darkside underhanded thing they can to thwart the will and well being of the American people.

[NBachers]

3. This guy sounds like a real charmer. I hope he lives the rest of his life in shame and disgrace,

but these aren't values the republican shitweasles will usually own.

[mtasselin]

4. shame

Sorry, but it is impossible to shame assholes like this all they care about is money and what the koch brothers think of them.

[cynzke]

5. In The Janesville Trump Rally.....

Trump told the audience that he had donated $100,000 to Scott Walker's campaign. Hum, hope someone from the election commission was listening!

[Stonepounder]

6. I am absolutely positive that every now and then the 1% decide...

that they need a sacrificial lamb to toss to the masses to make them think that corruption is a rare event and that it gets caught and punished. In reality I suspect that the number of politicians that violate election, campaign contribution, and other laws is somethere around 99.99%. Voting is nothing more these days than bread and circuses for the masses and don't really mean anything.

Elections are but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Adding a link

This story has appeared at DU before. Keep digging. It gets weirder.

This story goes way back at DU.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Thanks for posting the links. I unfortunately missed them when they were posted 3-28.

You're so right. The weirdness is spectacular with these sociopaths, who shouldn't be able to get by with their dirty crimes.

Who could have anticipated a meth house?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

13. Thanks for keeping us updated on this.

The story has a connection to Virginia too, as ex-Loudoun County supervisor Eugene Delgaudio's aide Donny Ferguson played a part by setting up a website that he claimed was that of a newspaper in Montana. The taxpayers of Loudoun County were left footing the bill for Donny Ferguson's dirty tricks. He scrubbed his website, but on the Interwebs, nothing ever really goes away. The story has been archived at DU.

Best wishes. Thanks again.

[turbinetree]

8. "Dark Money" by Jane Mayer.......................very good reading....

Honk----------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[Judi Lynn]

10. Thanks for mentioning it. n/t

[turbinetree]

11. your welcome...................................

I am currently reading this information, I am just beyond words to describe my outrage, these jerks have so many front groups feeding there agenda it is just amazing, and then when you hear or read names of who is helping these two and others, I look at the U.S. Supreme Court and the present majority in Congress and I am just outraged, we can sign petitions until the cows come home , but these people just go on------------------they just don't care

[WhiteTara]

12. good. nt