Following an exposé by the Peak, the center-right watchdog, Open Government Institute has sent a letter to Rep. Max Tyler (D-Lakewood) requesting that he repay his campaign the funds he used to pimp his ride.

The letter, which acknowledges that the statute of limitations has expired on pursuing an ethical complaint with the Secretary of State’s office, cites the guidelines for the use of campaign funds:  

“If you were elected, you may also use your unexpended campaign funds for voter registration, political issue education (e.g., educating your constituents or yourself about relevant political matters; contributions to issue committees are not permitted), post-secondary educational scholarships, or to defray reasonable and necessary expenses related to your official duties as an elected official (including communicating with your constituents).”

If adding Corvette parts to his vintage truck is part of his official duties, his constituents ought to consider whether he’s the best representative during this economic downturn.

After reviewing the Secretary of State’s maze of rules and regs, OGI pinpointed where Tyler took a wrong turn:

“While it is reasonable that some expenses related to your use and maintenance of the vehicle for campaign or office-related use would be reasonably expensed to your campaign, we have confirmed that you have excessively used your account to fund continued restoration of the vehicle that falls outside of ‘reasonable and necessary’ expenses.”

As a reminder, Max Tyler told Denver Post veteran reporter Lynn Bartels that his wife bought him the truck for his 50th birthday. Unfortunately, he also admitted that he “hot-rodded the original engine with Corvette parts, and then added disc brakes to stop it. It runs sweet!”  

Not only does it run afoul of campaign finance laws, but we’re sure that donors did not give money so Tyler could have a “sweet” ride.  

(Photo Credit: Max Tyler’s Facebook Page)