Attorney general rules ‘anti-dark money’ ballot initiative has too many parts

Attorney General Austin Knudsen rejected a proposed ballot initiative aimed at ending corporate money in Montana political campaigns on Friday, deeming it legally insufficient. The initiative’s primary advocate, former State Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan, said in a Monday interview that he plans to challenge the decision in court.

The proposed constitutional initiative would alter the law that applies to businesses, nonprofits and other incorporated entities that operate in Montana, barring them from contributing to campaigns and political committees that work to influence election outcomes.

That ban would also prevent a two-step workaround that allows individuals to make anonymous political donations by giving to corporations that, in turn, donate to political committees that are technically required to disclose their donors.

Jeff Mangan said attorneys with his group, the Transparent Election Initiative, would officially dispute the attorney general’s conclusion within the legally required 10-day window.

by Zeke Lloyd