Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government (CCEG) has sent two letters to Secretary of State Gigi Dennis requesting that she exercise her authority and investigate a series of questionable contributions made to gubernatorial candidate Rep. Bob Beauprez.

On August 14, 2006 CCEG sent the first letter to the Secretary’s office detailing how Rep. Beauprez’s candidate committee has received contributions from individuals who are funneling contributions through limited liability companies (LLCs) to evade the individual contribution limit of $1,000.

A CCEG analysis of Rep. Beauprez’s campaign finance reports showed that a number of LLCs with the same address and the same owners and/or operators have made contributions to his campaign in excess of these limits. For example, 32 different $500 contributions were made to Rep. Beauprez’s campaign on the same day by 16 similarly named LLCs, all located at precisely the same address and suite number. According to company records, at least 12 of the 16 LLCs are subsidiaries of Southwestern Investment Group and are owned and/or operated by Mark Campbell.

In another case, Eric Bush, President of Bush Development Inc. and the owner and/or operator of 9 LLC’s, contributed at least $11,000 to Rep. Beauprez’s campaign. In addition, Mr. Bush individually contributed $1,000 to Rep. Beauprez’s campaign on June 16, 2005, and made a second $1,000 contribution on August 30, 2005, in flagrant violation of the $1,000 individual contribution limit.

On August 22, 2006 Secretary Dennis’ office responded by returning CCEG’s request and claiming, “The Secretary of State does not have the authority under campaign finance laws to conduct investigations.” On August 29, 2006 CCEG fired back with a second letter directing Secretary Dennis to Rule 6.1 of the Secretary of State’s Rules Concerning Campaign and Political Finance, which states that the Secretary is actually required to conduct such investigations when she “discovers a possible violation.”

As a result of Secretary Dennis’ refusal to recognize her authority to investigate and her pattern of partisan decision making, CCEG also called on the Colorado House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, which has legislative oversight of the Secretary of State, to investigate Secretary Dennis’ activities.

CCEG is still awaiting a response from Secretary Dennis to its August 29, 2006 letter.