HELENA — Two dozen candidates for state and local offices face removal from the general election ballot if they don’t file campaign finance reports by next week, the commissioner of political practices said Friday.
Commissioner Jonathan Motl issued his decision in a complaint filed by Bowen Greenwood, the executive director of the Montana Republican Party.
“It’s not good for the political system to have somebody disqualifying candidates,” Motl said. “I would prefer every single one of these candidates file and maintain their candidacy status unless they really don’t want to run.”
Greenwood complained that Democratic state House candidate Steven Hoklin of Billings had not filed any campaign finance reports and asked that Hoklin’s name be removed from the ballot.
The complaint led the commissioner’s office to determine how many other candidates hadn’t filed their reports that should have been filed by May 22 and June 23.
Motl found a total of 16 legislative candidates and 26 local government candidates had failed to file or filed late.
“Mr. Greenwood did a public service by filing that complaint,” Motl said. “I don’t know if he intended a public service, but it sure ended up being one.”
Greenwood wasn’t available for comment Friday.
The candidates and the state Democratic and Republican parties received copies of Greenwood’s complaint Wednesday.
After that, 16 candidates filed reports, including two whose faxed reports hadn’t properly been recorded. That left 11 legislative candidates and 13 local candidates who had not filed by mid-afternoon Friday. Two other candidates said they planned to withdraw from their races but hadn’t filed that paperwork or any campaign finance reports.
The reports are now due Wednesday. Motl said he will contact election administrators next Thursday with the names of any candidates who don’t file in time.
“I’m sure we’re going to end up removing some from the ballot,” Motl said. “I hope by next Wednesday at 5 that the number remains a lot less.”
Motl’s decision indicates seven Democratic legislative candidates, including Hoklin; three Republicans and one Libertarian hadn’t filed campaign finance reports.
Hoklin said Friday he’d just spoken with the Democratic Party and they were going to file a report that said he hadn’t received or spent any money in his effort to be elected to the state House.
Staff in the commissioner’s office had contacted each candidate who failed to file by email and usually followed up with a phone call before Greenwood filed his complaint, Motl said. When Hoklin was asked if he’d been contacted he said “not to my knowledge.”
Several who didn’t file told staffers on the commissioner’s office they did not believe they needed to file because they had no contributions or expenditures.
State law says campaign finance reports must be filed even if no contributions or expenditures have been made, Motl notes.
“The law says it’s just as important to know that somebody isn’t spending money as it is that they are spending money,” Motl said Friday.
The local candidates who failed to file campaign finance reports on time include six running for county attorney and others seeking to be elected sheriff, justice of the peace, coroner, auditor or to a county commission.
The minimum fine for filing a late campaign finance report is $100, Motl said.