A Denver judge Thursday suspended part of controversial campaign-finance rules recently enacted by Secretary of State Gigi Dennis and set a two-day hearing on the entire matter for next week, according to court records.
Denver District Judge R. Michael Mullins temporarily stopped enforcement of a rule that requires political committees to declare, under penalty of perjury, that all contributions – including union dues – came from permissible sources, such as legal residents.
The hearing, slated to start Thursday, will address that issue as well as others raised by a group of individuals, unions and a state representative who filed suit against Dennis two weeks ago, accusing her of abusing her power in issuing the new rules.
The regulations, which went into effect in early August, limit campaign activities of some traditionally Democratic groups, such as unions and small-donor committees.
Dennis, a Republican, changed the previous rules after requests from lawyers who work for the state GOP, gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez and a powerful Republican political committee. She has repeatedly denied that the changes were politically motivated.
Republicans also have used small-donor committees, but they are more often used by unions, which tend to lean Democratic.
The other rule at issue in the suit requires unions or membership organizations to get permission from each member to transfer dues to a political or small- donor committee.
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
