Montana Democrats want to outlaw political spending by businesses and nonprofits. They have not applied that standard to themselves.
Guest op-ed by Lyn Hellegaard.
Montana Democrats want to outlaw political spending by businesses and nonprofits. They have not applied that standard to themselves.
Mark Thane (D), Tom France (D), Melody Cunningham (D), Lisa Verlanic Fowler (D), and Shelly Fyant (D) raise money through ActBlue.
That platform has been under congressional investigation since 2023 over fraud controls and possible foreign-linked donations. Five current or former ActBlue employees took the Fifth 146 times. This June, the CEO took it 22 times rather than answer where the money came from.
Federal law already bans foreign nationals from contributing in U.S. elections. These campaigns kept the processor anyway.
Now they back I-194, which would bar Montana businesses, nonprofits, and unions from spending in state elections. Out-of-state individual donors and PACs could still spend in our elections.
And the committee selling I-194 as a strike against dark money raised most of its own funds through a nonprofit that does not name its donors.
That is the tell. Disclosure for everyone else. A pass for the platform they use and the committee they are standing with.
Vote no on I-194. If Democrats want dark money gone, they can start with ActBlue and with the donors behind their own initiative. Montana votes should be decided by Montanans whose names we can read.
Lyn Hellegaard is a Republican candidate for Montana House District 89. She previously represented House District 97 in the Montana Legislature and served on the Missoula City Council. Learn more at lynformontana.com.