A Grand Junction Republican Party activist and his attorney have filed a complaint against Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes, charging he accepted corporate donations and excessively reimbursed himself thousands of dollars in mileage costs.
Maes, who is running against Scott McInnis for the party’s nomination, denied any wrongdoing.
The complaint filed by attorney Erik Groves to the secretary of state focuses on two in-kind donations totaling $567.69 by Publication Printers Corp. and mileage reimbursements paid to Maes totaling $8,675 and reported during the fourth quarter of 2009.
“It’s standard stuff. Candidates are not allowed to receive corporate contributions,” said Groves, who filed the complaint on behalf of Christopher Klitzke.
Maes said Publication’s owner made the in-kind donations.
The complaint also charged that the $8,675 in mileage reimbursements was too high. Maes said the reimbursements were correct.
“Everyone knows how much we traveled across this state,” Maes said. “And those are all legitimate mileage reimbursements.”
