A Fort Collins police investigation into the finances of the Larimer County Republican Party is keeping Colorado’s secretary of state from deciding how much to fine the GOP for failing to file required reports.
Larimer GOP officials also are still compiling records to submit to Secretary of State Scott Gessler for review.
The party currently faces a $48,700 fine for not filing any of its six required 2010 finance reports. Fines accrued at $50 a day for each missed report.
Gessler’s spokesman, Andrew Cole, said Wednesday he couldn’t guess how much the secretary of state would fine the party.
“Our office will continue to follow up with the Larimer GOP as the (police) investigation progresses and as they are able to submit a better picture of their finances,” Cole said.
New Larimer GOP treasurer Steve Miller — who also is the Larimer County assessor — asked Gessler last week to delay any fine until more information could be gathered concerning the committee’s finances.
GOP officials have said the party’s record-keeping was in disarray.
“We have been working diligently but are still weeks away from assembling the required information into coherent and acceptable amended reports based on the best available information we can identify and obtain from bank records, donor-history records and expenditure information,” Miller said.
He also said Fort Collins police were looking into potential criminal liability committed by former party chairman Larry Carillo concerning “financial matters affecting the committee,” according to Miller’s letter to the secretary of state.
Carillo resigned Feb. 28 after other party officials confronted him about the delinquent finance reports, the Fort Collins Coloradoan reported.
In March, Gessler told The Denver Post’s editorial board that his office is creating a new set of rules to guide requests to waive or reduce campaign-finance fines. The new rules could apply to the Larimer GOP’s current reporting violations.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
