campaign finance

Montana Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney is asking his opponents in the Democratic primary race for governor to sign a pledge to limit outside spending and self-funding in their campaigns. The pledge was called a media stunt by one opponent.

Cooney this week offered the pledge to donate to charity half of the value of any independent expenditures made by outside organizations, individuals, or corporations that benefit his campaign.

An Illinois advocacy group is suing Montana Gov. Steve Bullock over one of his trademark campaign finance policies targeting so-called 'dark money' in politics.

The lawsuit announced Wednesday asks a federal judge to strike down Montana’s nearly year-old policy that requires certain businesses seeking contracts with the state to disclose donors and spending on elections.

Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines has reported raising more than $1 million over the last three months for his reelection bid in 2020.

All candidates in Montana races for the U.S. House and Senate were required to disclose their quarterly fundraising and spending Monday.

Gov. Steve Bullock’s presidential campaign has agreed to pay for the travel, lodging and meals of the Montana Highway Patrol security detail accompanying him on out-of-state campaign travel.

Bullock’s official staff signed-off on an agreement earlier this month to pay for the expenses after Attorney General Tim Fox ordered a stop to the security. As of publication time the exact cost of the security detail has not been made public. 

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Jon Tester met with constituents at a town hall event Friday in Missoula. About 150 people packed into one of the meeting rooms in Missoula’s Holiday Inn Parkside Friday to interact with Tester.

The town hall was an open door event with no invite needed. It was his second in person town hall of the year and his ninth since President Trump took office.

Gov. Steve Bullock’s administration argued along side the state of New Jersey in federal court in Great Falls Wednesday against the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has loosened disclosure requirements for so-called dark money campaign groups.

At least $3.8 million was spent to influence Montana lawmakers’ work during the first three months of 2019. That’s with one more month’s worth of lobbyist spending reports for the 2019 legislative session yet to be filed. The deadline for that is today.