Lobbyist Anne McGihon, you've just become a bigger headache to House Democrats you were trying to fundraise for. After the legislator-turned-lobbyist illegally solicitated donations to Dianne Primavera's HD33 campaign as an event co-host, McGihon basically conceded guilt by removing her name. But the damage was done. Today a formal campaign finance complaint was filed by the Open Government Institute (OGI).
It's no longer just a bad news story, but a legal problem now.
You can read the campaign finance complaint here.
From OGI's press release (full release after the jump):
DENVER, Colo. (March 1, 2012) – The Open Government Institute of Colorado (www.ogicolorado.org) today filed an ethics complaint against legislator-turned-lobbyist Anne McGihon, who lent her name – and possibly more – to a fundraising event for State House District 33 Democratic candidate Dianne Primavera.
…This is not the first time Ms. McGihon has lent her name to a Democratic fundraising effort. Earlier this month, McGihon also co-hosted a fundraiser for the Democratic House Majority Project, an “initiative of the Colorado Democratic Party, the House Majority Project works toward building a Democratic majority in the State House of Representatives,” according to its web site. While state law provides an exception to a ban on in-session lobbyist contributions for committees organized through political parties, OGI argues in its complaint that the explicit language of the invitation, as well as multiple identified candidates headlining the invitation, should be construed as to violate state law.
“One can’t help but wonder if these examples are just two pieces of a vast pattern of ethics rules skirting by Ms. McGihon,” said Jessica Peck, executive director at OGI Colorado. “As for Ms. Primavera, who was a Colorado State House Representative prior to her defeat in 2010, her disregard of unlawful lobbyist ties indicates either willful disregard or gross ignorance of a rule fundamental to preventing lobbyists from offering up campaign cash for votes during the legislative session.” [Peak emphasis]
This is NOT how Primavera wanted to kickoff her campaign to take back the seat she lost in 2010.
The story even made her local paper yesterday, the Broomfield Enterprise.
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MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Michelle Balch Lyng
Media Director
[email protected]
202-380-7114
OGI Colorado Files Ethics Complaint Exposing Lobbyist-Candidate Ties
Open Government Institute cites Primavera fundraising emails
DENVER, Colo. (March 1, 2012) – The Open Government Institute of Colorado (www.ogicolorado.org) today filed an ethics complaint against legislator-turned-lobbyist Anne McGihon, who lent her name – and possibly more – to a fundraising event for State House District 33 Democratic candidate Dianne Primavera.
Through the complaint, OGI represents Tom Cave, a Broomfield resident and Westminster small business owner.
The complaint cited Colorado Revised Statutes 1-45-1-5.5(1)(a), which provides that, “No professional lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or principal of a professional lobbyist or volunteer lobbyist shall make or promise to make a contribution to, or solicit or promise to solicit a contribution for: (I) A member of the general assembly or candidate for the general assembly, when the general assembly is in regular session.”
The 2012 legislative session convened on January 11, 2012 and is scheduled to adjourn on May 9, 2012, well after the proposed March 11, 2012 date for the fundraiser in question. While is not yet known whether McGihon paid Primavera’s $250 host fee, at minimum, she promised to make a contribution and used her name to solicit contributions on behalf of Primavera.
This is not the first time Ms. McGihon has lent her name to a Democratic fundraising effort. Earlier this month, McGihon also co-hosted a fundraiser for the Democratic House Majority Project, an “initiative of the Colorado Democratic Party, the House Majority Project works toward building a Democratic majority in the State House of Representatives,” according to its web site. While state law provides an exception to a ban on in-session lobbyist contributions for committees organized through political parties, OGI argues in its complaint that the explicit language of the invitation, as well as multiple identified candidates headlining the invitation, should be construed as to violate state law.
“One can’t help but wonder if these examples are just two pieces of a vast pattern of ethics rules skirting by Ms. McGihon,” said Jessica Peck, executive director at OGI Colorado. “As for Ms. Primavera, who was a Colorado State House Representative prior to her defeat in 2010, her disregard of unlawful lobbyist ties indicates either willful disregard or gross negligence of a rule fundamental to preventing lobbyists from offering up campaign cash for votes during the legislative session.”
McGihon, also a Democrat, served four terms in the Colorado State House of Representatives before resigning to join the law firm Ackerman and Senterfitt. Primavera served as a legislator in Colorado’s House District 33 before her defeat in 2010 by Republican Don Beezley.
About OGI
Founded in 2011, the Open Government Institute of Colorado (www.ogicolorado.org) is the state’s only true non-partisan organization (501c3 IRS status pending) dedicated to exposing, educating, and litigating the latest obstacles to clean government and fair elections in Colorado. With litigation appropriately viewed as a last resort, we seek to accomplish our goals through the most ethical and least combative means possible.
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