Ken Torres, candidate for Colorado House District 64 in southeastern Colorado, accepted a $1,000 contribution from the Las Animas County Republican Women’s Club, which is apparently registered as a 527 political organization. The contribution exceeds Colorado’s voter-approved contribution limit of $200 for primary races and $200 for general elections. According to the secretary of state’s office, Torres has 30 days to return the portion in excess of the contribution limit.

Torres also did not properly register with the secretary of state as a candidate before accepting contributions, resulting in $1,950 in fines, and has other problems with his filings. Chantell Taylor, director of Ethics Watch, released the following statement:

“Ethics Watch calls on Commissioner Torres to immediately return the unlawful contribution from Las Animas County Republican Women’s Club, which patently exceeds the $400 contribution limit, and immediately rectify his many other filing delinquencies. Ignorance is no excuse for such obvious violations. Fundraising without first registering a candidate committee and then accepting an unlawful contribution from a questionable source flies in the face of transparency and government ethics. As a current public official, Commissioner Torres must demonstrate a higher standard of integrity – his constituents deserve no less.”