A that has spent more than any other entity on the Greeley City Council campaign has yet to file its donor report, contradicting the Greeley City Clerk’s guidance on reporting deadlines.
The committee, Greeley for a Stronger Economy, has spent nearly $65,000 on television ads, mailers and other advertising, including the most recent mailers portraying three city council candidates as puppets of , who donated money to three council candidates.
The committee has not yet been required to disclose its revenue sources, leaving Greeley residents in the dark about who is trying to influence this year’s council election.
A spokeswoman for the committee, Cinamon Watson, said the committee’s filing isn’t due until Friday, contradicting an email chain obtained from the committee that shows the committee’s registered agent agreeing with Greeley City Clerk Betsy Holder on the Monday deadline after a brief back and forth.
The Secretary of State’s website shows a filing deadline of Nov. 3, but in email communication, Holder said the Secretary of State’s Office confirmed the independent expenditure committee would fall under school election rules, meaning an Oct. 30 deadline.
The failure to disclose appeared to be a violation of Colorado campaign finance laws, until the Secretary of State’s Office confirmed a Friday filing deadline.
After several attack-style ads portraying him as a puppet master in Greeley politics, Polis on Tuesday was eager to weigh in. In a prepared statement, Polis said he was proud to donate to candidates he said will help build a strong economy for Greeley families.
“The question we’d all like answered is: Why are anonymous special interests from Denver spending more than $50,000 for their candidates, and what do they expect from Greeley in return?” Polis said in a statement.
CORRECTION: This story was updated on Nov. 1, 2017, to reflect that Greeley for a Stronger Economy is not in violation of state campaign finance reporting rules, which are different from reporting guidance given by the Greeley City Clerk.