Big Sky Cairn

We’ve seen the lack of respect Governor Schweitzer has for laws that don’t suit his goals. We’ve seen that he’s not the first Montana Democrat to shun the laws they want to be elected to create. The case for a Culture of Corruption is getting more compelling. And there’s more.

Investigators will tell you the best way to find underhanded activities is to follow the money. Gaps in the money trail - unaccounted for sums, and unrecorded expenditures - are tell-tale fingerprints of shady activity. Governor Brian Schweitzer maintains an unregulated political account worth at least $46,000. Where the money came from and how he spends it are unknown because he has refuses to disclose. What is the Governor hiding?

In 2007, constituency accounts were regulated for the first time in Montana. These accounts were originally intended as a place to keep leftovers from a campaign war chest. Significantly, they were exempted from reporting requirements and fundraising limits. The kicker is that constituents could donate into the account - an under-the-table gift to an elected official while he was in office.

The possibilities for abuse are substantial - which is why the state legislature eventually regulated them (with Governor Schweitzer’s signature). Of course, the Governor was clever enough to exempt himself from the regulations of constituency accounts. The law, it seems, was cleverly worded to grandfather in accounts that were created before the law was passed.

And why not? In a pay-to-play environment of tit-for-tat, where better to demand off-the-record contributions? Where better to pay to wine and dine constituent leaders - union bosses, trial lawyers, environmental advocates? Where better to fund the activities you’d rather no one know about?

To be fair, Governor Schweitzer claims that his constituency account is no longer operating. This may be true, but the fact that he hasn’t publicly accounted for the money that it contained - or any money that was added to it - raises red flags. The solution for for the concerned politician is sunlight and disclosure. The Governor could make this go away tomorrow by opening his books. What is he hiding?