DENVER—Colorado Democrats filed a complaint Monday with the Federal Election Commission after complaining for months about outside spending on behalf of Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck.
The state party’s complaint accuses Buck of improperly working with the Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee steered by South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint.
The fund has spent more than $370,000 in support of Ken Buck, but under federal rules that fund can’t coordinate campaigning with Buck. Democrats allege Buck has broken that rule.
“It’s a serious issue,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chairwoman Pat Waak.
Democrats concede, however, that there is slim chance the FEC will address their Buck complaint before Election Day. A similar complaint against Buck was filed during the Republican primary by a supporter of Buck’s GOP opponent, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton. That complaint hasn’t been heard by the FEC.
Campaign finance complaints from both parties are piling up in Washington as outside interest groups pour millions into campaigns nationwide. Many of them allege illegal coordination, or a candidate orchestrating spending on his or her behalf from a group that isn’t allowed to be working with the candidate.
The Colorado complaint points out that DeMint would be allowed to directly give Buck only $5,000. But DeMint’s PAC has spent much more than that, and Democrats allege that DeMint and Buck illegally talked campaign strategy in July, when DeMint campaigned in Colorado and appeared with Buck.
“DeMint did know what Buck was doing, because he was there in Denver doing it with him,” the Democrats’ complaint alleges.
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet has made similar arguments, though Bennet hasn’t filed a formal complaint. During a debate with Buck in Denver earlier this month, Bennet blasted Buck’s allies for attacking him in ads.
“There’s been millions and millions of dollars poured into Colorado trying to steal this election from Colorado’s voters, and that’s just wrong,” Bennet said.
Buck was campaigning in southwestern and central Colorado Monday and didn’t immediately respond to the complaint. Buck’s spokesman, Owen Loftus, brushed it off.
“It’s desperation—that’s the only way we can put this,” Loftus said. He noted that outside groups have spent million attacking Buck, too, but the Buck camp had no plans to file complaints over the spending on behalf of Bennet.
Even though the Democrats’ complaint won’t be resolved in time for the election, Waak said the party filed it to bring attention to the sources of outside money in Colorado campaigns.
“There’s a huge concern over corporate money coming into this state to sway this election, particularly on the Republican side,” Waak said. “Voters feel that this is unfair and it distorts the elections.”
