HELENA — Dozens of groups have failed to meet the first key deadline of Montana’s new campaign disclosure law, known as the Disclose Act, that was meant to improve transparency over so-called “dark money.”
Jonathan Motl, the state’s commissioner of political practices, on Wednesday urged groups to comply with the new law and file campaign reports even after the Jan. 31 deadline.
While Motl said he is concerned that a large number of independent expenditure committees missed the deadline, he expressed little alarm.
As of Wednesday, 79 of the 122 organizations registered as independent political committees had filed reports detailing their spending and contributions from 2015.
“Political committees need to adjust and understand their new responsibilities,” Motl said, amid stacks of records in the basement of his office in Helena. “Every change of law, every change of culture requires a bit of adjustment — and they need to adjust.”
Gov. Steve Bullock signed the Disclose Act into law last April amid concerns over the role so-called dark money could play in elections, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. The decision allowed corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money in elections.
The Montana law, which is being challenged in federal court by Montanans for Community Development, is meant to improve transparency in campaign spending. It requires groups to disclose their donors and spending, add restrictions to coordination between candidates and outside organizations, and requires candidates to file same-day electronic disclosures of their contributions.
At minimum, Montana-based organizations must file quarterly reports — even if no contributions were received or spending made. However, contribution disclosure rules for out-of-state groups and nonprofits remain murky.
While missing reporting deadlines carry penalties, Motl said he would not seek to move against any of the groups unless he was presented with a formal complaint from members of the public. However, Motl urged restraint and understanding as organizations become better acquainted with the demands of the new reporting rules.