July 06, 2010 04:49 PM UTC

Maes: Tea Party Fav Caught with Hand in Cookie Jar

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• by: ClubTwitty

(H/T to Ralphie… – promoted by ClubTwitty)

Do as I say, not as I do.

Running as a fiscal conservative, prepared to beg forgiveness from the world’s richest industry, and touting his experience as a businessman, Dan Maes–seeking the Republican nomination for Governor–has been popped for campaign finance violations.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel is reporting:

Republican gubernatorial contender Dan Maes is expected to be ordered to pay what could be the largest campaign finance fine ever levied against a candidate by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.

In response to a complaint filed with the state by a Grand Valley voter, the Evergreen businessman has admitted to numerous campaign finance violations and agreed to pay nearly $27,000 in fines, according to his campaign’s response to a complaint filed last month by Grand Junction resident Christopher Klitzke. He could be ordered to pay the fines as early as today.

The complaint said Maes had improperly reimbursed thousands of dollars to himself for mileage expenses over the past year, had failed to note occupations on some donations, and received an illegal contribution from at least one corporation, said Klitzke’s lawyer, Grand Junction attorney Erik Grove.

“It was as clear as day when you start seeing tens of thousand of dollars flowing from the campaign to his personal account,” Grove said. “I’ve been doing campaign finance litigation for six, seven years now, and this immediately sends up a red flag when you see tons of itemized money flowing from the candidate’s account. As time went by, it got worse. He was transferring $9,000 at one time from his campaign account.”

Since last summer, Maes has paid himself $44,837 for mileage, according to his own campaign finance filings with the state.

Dan Maes has run on two platforms–gutting state spending and groveling before the oil and gas drillers.  His credentials–other than not being Scott McInnis–include his experience as a businessman.  

Now the Tea Party favorite, who won a surprise victory over establishment candidate Scott McInnis at the Assembly, has acknowledged that he was using campaign funds and donations contributions [CT edit] as his personal piggy bank.

For a few months last year, he was paying money to himself almost on a weekly basis, totalling $3,325 in November and $3,650 in December.

Starting this year, he began to pay himself on the 15th of each month, starting with $9,000 in January and then $5,000 a month in February, March and April.

Already well behind McInnis in fundraising, Maes has been assessed record fines.

In his response to the complaint, filed by Denver attorneys Ross Pulkrabek and Daniel Wartell, Maes said he would not contest any of the claims lodged against him and agreed to pay all fines suggested in Klitzke’s complaint.

“Respondents do not contest that the contributions identified in the ‘Second Claimed Violation’ omitted employer and/or occupation information that should have been included on reports with the Secretary of State’s Office,” Maes’ response said of one of the four violations cited in the complaint. “Respondents also do not contest that some or all of those contributions should have been returned within 30 days after receipt.”

Maes’ response said he would accept a $2,838 fine for the first claim, and $11,250 for the second, both of which dealt with how contributions were reported.

Though Maes said that state law was unclear as to how to report certain expenses, he agreed to pay a fine of $50 a day from Jan. 20 until the matter is settled for the third allegation, and another $50 a day from May 3 for the fourth claim. If a judgment is entered against Maes today, that means $9,350 for the third claim, and $3,200 for the final one.

Twitty’s Assessment: Time for the fork, this turkey’s done.    

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