American Tradition Partnership Executive Director Donald Ferguson released the following statement Friday afternoon:
I'm
surprised to read Attorney General Steve Bullock claim he will not
accept contributions above the unconstitutional $630 limit. Back when
the contribution law was in force he violated it and other campaign
finance laws at least 18 times.
Why did Bullock wait until the law was overturned to suddenly decide he'll stop breaking it?
American
Tradition Partnership follows every applicable law to the letter.
Every case we have ever brought has eventually been settled in our
favor. The law and the Constitution are always on our side.
But
when it comes to breaking Montana's campaign finance laws, Steve
Bullock is a virtual Al Capone. Make no mistake. Steve Bullock is one
of the most corrupt public officials in the United States.
According
to sworn, documented complaints filed with the Commissioner of
Political Practices
(http://politicalpractices.mt.gov/2recentdecisions/docket.mcpx):
*
Bullock pocketed contributions from the Pfizer drug company corporate
PAC on Apr. 27, 2009, June 10, 2011 and June 4, 2012 that totaled far
above the legal limit, by nearly 50 percent. (Tuininga v. Bullock)
*
Bullock pocketed corporate PAC cash from British-based GlaxoSmithKline
on Dec. 15, 2009, Aug. 1, 2011 and June 4, 2012 that totaled twice the
legal limit. (Tuininga v. Bullock)
* Bullock pocketed primary
election contributions from the Endo drug company corporate PAC on May
16, 2012 at twice the legal limit. (Tuininga v. Bullock)
(It
should be noted Bullock was supposed to be negotiating with these drug
companies on price-fixing allegations while taking that cash.)
*
Bullock received a $300.00 check from the GFEA union PAC, on Mar. 16,
2011. GFEA is not a legal PAC, therefore Bullock accepted an illegal
contribution. (Tuininga v. Bullock)
* Bullock took illegal
contributions from the BFFL 521 union PAC, on May 16, 2012 that were
more than double the legal limit. (Tuininga v. Bullock)
* Bullock
also took $1,260.00 in funds from the MEA MFT COPE union PAC on February
1, 2012, that is also twice the legal limit. (Tuininga v. Bullock)
*
Bullock did the same thing, which is again illegal, when he pocketed
the same amounts from the HEA union PAC on June 4, 2012. (Tuininga v.
Bullock)
* Bullock took funds at the legal limit from the Montana
Public Employees Association PAC, on April 9, 2012, but then accepted an
additional $500 – which is illegal – just weeks later on May 31.
(Tuininga v. Bullock)
* Bullock took $600 from the "Rent-A-Center,
Inc. Good Government Committee" PAC, the corporate PAC of
Rent-A-Center, on June 30, 2011. Bullock then received an additional
$660 on Apr. 13, 2012, which is above the legal limit both cumulatively
and as an individual gift. Bullock also reported it as coming from the
"RAC Good Government Committee" to make it appear to be a different
donor. (Olson v. Swope)
* Bullock pocketed $630 from Glacier PAC
on Mar. 11, 2012 that was legally designated for the general election,
but Bullock reported it for the primary (Tuininga v. Bullock) That
allows him to later solicit an illegal contribution.
* Bullock
took two contributions from the Swiss-based Holcim corporation PAC
totaling $620. Holcim wrote two checks, $310 for the primary and $310
for the general but Bullock reported them both for the primary (Tuininga
v. Bullock). That allows him to later solicit an illegal contribution.
*
Bullock pocketed contributions from The Home Depot corporate PAC
totaling $1,260 on Dec. 14, 2011 for the primary election. (Tuininga v.
Bullock) That is twice the legal limit.
* Bullock also did the same thing with Lowe's corporate PAC on June 5, 2012 (Tuininga v. Bullock)
*
Bullock took $310 from Publishers Clearing House, which is a
corporation and not a PAC. (Swope v. Bullock) Corporate donations are
expressly illegal.
* Bullock took three checks from "Citizens for
Responsible Government - Employees of MSE," one for $300 on May 12,
2011, one for $300 on Dec. 7, 2011 and one for $660 just a week later on
Dec. 14, 2011. (Swope v. Bullock) The legal limit for a PAC is $630,
putting Bullock over the legal limit by $600.
* Bullock took $600
from McDaniel Leadership PAC, which is not registered with the OPP. It
also appears to be a corporation out of Arkansas (Swope v. Bullock)
*
Bullock reported spending just $15 dollars for a room at the Big Sky
Resort on Jan. 15, 2012. (Swope v. Bullock) Rooms cost well over $100 a
night, therefore Montana law requires the difference should have been
reported as a contribution to Bullock, which he failed to do.
Additionally, corporate contributions are also illegal.
American Tradition Partnership follows every applicable law to the letter.
Steve
Bullock habitually breaks the law, then tries to cover it up with phony
allegations against others that are always thrown out of court.
Instead
of false accusations and phony charges against law-abiding citizens
Bullock should stop breaking the laws he's supposed to enforce.