In a September 5 editorial, The Pueblo Chieftain wrote that an ad criticizing Colorado Secretary of State Gigi Dennis (R) was directed at her because she “issu[ed] new campaign finance rules in her role as secretary of state. But the paper neglected to note the ad also attacked her for doing the bidding of ”party bosses" and for “transform[ing] the Secretary of State's office from guardian of our voting rights into a partisan snake pit.” This is the second time the paper neglected to report criticism that has been aimed at Dennis that she acted at the request of Republican leaders.

The Chieftain's editorial reported that Dennis “is the target of a partisan 527 attack for issuing new campaign finance rules in her role as secretary of state," including a rule that “requires political committees ... to get each member's consent once a year before collecting individual dues for political activities.” The editorial continued, “Imagine, asking a person's OK to take his or her money for partisan politics! The secretary of state is being sued by union activists, including the Colorado Education Association, which collects political dues from member teachers.”

The editorial concluded, "[w]e support individual choice over group coercion anytime in the financing of political expression." However, as Colorado Media Matters noted in response to an August 25 Chieftain article, lawyers for the Republican Party, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez's campaign, and the Republican-backed Trailhead Group originally requested the rules Dennis adopted. In one case, Dennis reportedly adopted “in its entirety” a rule the Republican lawyers requested. An August 23 article in the Post reported that Dennis's “rules ... appear to make it more difficult for Democratic campaigns. They were issued just two and a half months before the November election.” A September 1 Denver Post article by Karen Crummy also reported that Dennis made “the rule changes after meeting with two GOP lawyers.”

The Chieftain editorial apparently was referring to a radio ad run by Clear Peak Colorado, a 527 organization formed to “refute attacks by Republican operatives and highlight Democratic accomplishments,” in stating that a group is targeting Dennis “for issuing new campaign finance rules in her role as secretary of state.” Although the ad does say that “Dennis issued a ruling that snuffs out the right to political speech and public action for people just like you,” it also says that “party bosses” have been “ordering Gigi Dennis around” and "[s]he's doing their bidding instead of protecting our rights." The ad further states that Dennis “has transformed the Secretary of State's office from guardian of our voting rights into a partisan snake pit.”

An August 31 Rocky Mountain News article reported, “Dennis touched off a furor among Democrats” such as state Senate Majority Leader and Secretary of State candidate Ken Gordon (D-Denver), who said of Dennis, "[I]n this case, I believe she succumbed to pressure from strong partisan advocates in her party." An August 31 Post article noted that " [b]oth the Republican and Democratic candidates for secretary of state Wednesday called on the woman they would replace to delay enforcement of controversial new campaign finance rules until after the November election."

As Colorado Media Matters has noted, an August 24 Post story reported that, between them, the attorneys who met with Dennis -- Gessler and John Zakhem -- “work for the state GOP, [Republican] gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez and a powerful Republican political committee [The Trailhead Group].” The Post quoted Gessler as saying, “It was not my sole motivating factor to help Bob Beauprez, but was I conscious of it? Yes,” and adding, “The rules are riddled with exceptions that help out Democratic constituencies.”

The rule Dennis adopted “verbatim” was the same rule to which the Chieftain editorial referred. As The Post reported, it “require[ed] groups to get written permission from each member to transfer dues to a political or small-donor committee.”

Similarly, an August 25 News article stated, “Secretary of state records show that two Republican attorneys who represent the state party, the GOP gubernatorial candidate and the most influential GOP political committee, asked Dennis earlier this year to change the rules.” The article added, “The language in one new provision was taken verbatim from a recommendation by GOP attorneys John Zakhem and Scott Gessler.”

Dennis issued the revised campaign finance rules August 2, prompting a lawsuit from a coalition of unions, private citizens, and state Rep. Michael Cerbo (D-Denver). In addition to requiring written consent to use membership dues for political campaigns, the new rules change the definition of a campaign contribution and require political committees to affirm under penalty of perjury that campaign contributions came from “permissible” sources.

From the Clear Peak Colorado radio ad :

Hear that?

It's the sound of Gigi Dennis stifling Colorado's voices. Dennis is Secretary of State and one of her jobs is to protect our political rights. Instead, Dennis is trying to muffle thousands of Coloradans. Teachers, nurses, firefighters -- workers of all kinds.

Hear that?

That's the sound of the party bosses ordering Gigi Dennis around. She's doing their bidding instead of protecting our rights.

Dennis issued a ruling that snuffs out the right to political speech and public action for people just like you.

Arrogant, arbitrary, unaccountable -- that's the Dennis decision.

[...]

Gigi Dennis has transformed the Secretary of State's office from guardian of our voting rights into a partisan snake pit.

She should reverse her decision and apologize to us all.

We can't wait to hear that.

Paid for by Clear Peak Colorado.

From the September 5 Chieftain editorial :

Attack dogs, known as 527 organizations, are back leveling partisan charges against candidates and non-candidates, alike. The number 527 denotes the IRS tax code for these political advocacy groups.

Two political figures well-known in Pueblo are among their targets this year.

[...]

Meanwhile, Gigi Dennis, who is not even running for office this fall, is the target of a partisan 527 attack for issuing new campaign finance rules in her role as secretary of state. One rule requires political committees - including but certainly not limited to union groups - to get each member's consent once a year before collecting individual dues for political activities.

Imagine, asking a person's OK to take his or her money for partisan politics! The secretary of state is being sued by union activists, including the Colorado Education Association, which collects political dues from member teachers.

We support individual choice over group coercion anytime in the financing of political expression.

These 527 organizations have risen in prominence on the heels of so-called campaign finance reforms. By restricting individual freedom to give to candidates, Colorado's Amendment 27, the voter-approved measure that limits campaign contributions, has actually driven the money underground.

We support transparency in campaign finance and are put off by 527 attack ads whether the targets a Republican or Democrat.