Commissioners ask governor to investigate ‘dark money’ funding for all non-profits
When the Ravalli County Commissioners decided recently to send a letter to Montana Attorney General Tim Fox asking the Justice Department to investigate the finances of several non-profit conservation organizations which they named specifically in the letter, most of the public comment was against it. Their recent letter to Governor Bullock asking him to require disclosure of donors from all non-profit corporations who do business with the state drew a similar response with public comment running about 3 to 1 against it.
The commissioners’ latest letter was crafted in response to Governor Bullock’s recent executive order requiring many companies which contract with the state to disclose their political contributions, even to ‘dark money’ groups that do not, themselves, have to disclose donors under federal law.
Companies currently under contract are exempt from the order, but after October 1, companies submitting bids over $25,000 for services, or over $50,000 for goods, must disclose their political spending over the previous two years if the amount spent is over $2,500.
Without any preliminary discussion, the commissioners immediately took public comment and Marilyn Wolff, an outspoken critic of the commissioners’ letter supporting Senator Daines’ bill that would remove the Wilderness Study Area designations from the Sapphire and Blue Joint WSAs, was the first of several to use the term “embarrassing.” She said it was an embarrassment to county residents that they had not vetted “the phony reports which were concocted by some real ‘dark money’ groups” before making allegations.
She was referring to the “Green Decoy” documents submitted to the commissioners by Keith Kubista, of the Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, in which several environmental groups are alleged to be taking dark money from foreign sources.
Skip Kowalski, who is a board member of the Montana Wildlife Federation, spoke as a citizen of Ravalli County, saying, “I take exception to your singling out my group and myself personally based on the recommendation of one individual.” He said they took that individual’s word without even consulting the organizations that were being accused.
“Our board represents a wide range of people, all of them Montanans,” he said. “and the MWF is directed by policy set forth by this board, not by any outside sources.”
He called the commissioners’ letter a “red herring” based on their position concerning the management of forest lands in the county.
“You don’t agree with certain organizations, so you are using this as a way to get back at them,” he said.
Russ Lawrence said, “Do you have no curiosity about things that you have been spoon fed?” He said with a little research he was able to determine that the “green decoy propaganda” that Kubista gave the commissioners “was produced by the Environmental Policy Alliance, which is a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom, which itself is a front group run by Berman and Company, itself a PR firm that uses dark money to generate smear campaigns.”
He said if the commissioners were truly concerned about the issue, they should have all groups investigated. He said if they truly believed it was only the named organizations involved, “then you are incurious ideologues and hypocrites.”
Frank Tuffry said that he was a veteran and “many of us belong to these advocacy groups. We advocate for a better balance in our lives and it is not even recognized by any of you. It’s not only embarrassing, it’s also insulting. There is no effort by any of you to meet us halfway. It’s really insulting when a significant number of us have no voice.”
Bill LaCroix, another veteran, said, “I take offense. I am a vet. I want you guys to look me in the face and tell me you think I’m a Russian plant.” He also challenged them to produce any information or evidence that implicates the groups named in taking dark money.
“I’m making a formal request for that information. Then, we can talk.”
Jim Olsen said that he served in the past on the Montana Wildlife Federation board for 15 years. “I am familiar with their sources of funding,” he said, “and absolutely no foreign money is involved.” He said the MWF tax returns are available to anybody to investigate and see where the money comes from.
Representatives from a few more organizations made the same claim about their tax returns being available and open and said that if anyone was to be investigated then everyone should be investigated.
Carol Johns said, “I request that you start respecting the value of wilderness, economically, socially and environmentally, instead of denying the value of the land that should be left alone.”
Four people spoke in support of the letter.
Keith Kubista, who submitted the “green decoy” documents to the commissioners, said the question of dark money coming into Montana was worth investigating and that Governor Bullock’s executive order set the stage for such an investigation.
“They are blaming the bearer of bad news,” he said. “There is evidence of outside money from outside Montana coming into some groups, and I suggest it is time for the governor to take action.”
Pat Earnest expressed support for the commissioners, saying, “I support you. Your door is always open to us and you take the time to listen.” She said the governor’s order opens the door for an investigation.
A woman who recently moved to Stevensville from Missoula said, “Transparency is important for elected officials and for non-profits.” She said the investigation should go forward so that these organizations could “clear their names” if there is nothing wrong.
Representative Theresa Manzella said the letter fits with the governor’s executive order and needs to be done.
“We need to know where the money is coming from to influence our policies,” she said.
Commissioner Greg Chilcott said, “This letter discusses any organization, that is to say, all organizations need full disclosure.” He said the investigation would either prove that things are great or it will show that they are not.
“This is across the board,” he said. “We are not being political. We want any organization that’s generating money to disclose. I get a little concerned when we are talking about a letter of two paragraphs and it all of a sudden circles back around to old issues that people don’t agree with.”
“On a good day,” he said, “we have 51% that support us. That’s part of the job. We do the best we can to support the citizens who elect us. Sometimes we miss the mark but not for lack of effort. But this is not about WSAs. It is not about public lands. It’s about the funding that drives public policy in Montana. It’s about looking for foreign sources that are supporting our policies.” He said if it is looked into and nothing’s wrong, then that’s great.
“If not, we have a problem,” he said.
Kowalski spoke up again, saying that the letter says “any” organization and several organizations were named in a previous letter that was referenced in this letter. He said it should say “all” organizations. He also stated that he did not believe that any of the non-profits in Montana actually contract with the state for anything.
Chilcott said that he already stated that “any” means “all” and it would be a part of the record.
Commission Chair Jeff Burrows asked if anyone on the board was concerned about changing it to read “all organizations” instead of “any organization.” The consensus was to make the change.
Sending the letter to Bullock was approved unanimously.