Editor:
On May 11, Pat Degagne-Rule (a candidate for county commissioner) contributed $50 to Wasleys campaign committee. Wasley listed her contribution as one from Patricia S. Degagne.
Colorado Constitution, Article XXVIII, Section 3, Number 6 states, No candidates candidate committee shall accept contributions from, or make contributions to, another candidate committee
Col. Constitution Article XXVIII, Section 2, Number 3 defines candidate committee as a person, including the candidate, or persons with the common purpose of receiving contributions or making expenditures under the authority of a candidate.
Accordingly, I opined that her contribution was prohibited as it came from and under the authority of the candidate, Degagne-Rule. I did so after a representative at the secretary of states office gave this information along with their interpretation of the law.
On June 19, in a letter to the editor, Degagne-Rule said, the check I wrote to Russell Wasley was not from my candidate committee, but from my personal account, as were the checks I wrote to Scott Tipton, J. Paul Brown, and Don Coram.
Having read her response, I again contacted the secretary of states office, spoke with a different representative and asked the very same question. Can a candidate donate to another candidate? I was this time given a different response and told that, despite being prohibited from making contributions as an individual working through their committee (which Degagne-Rules contribution could have been), candidates may make personal contributions if they comply with limits imposed by state law - which is $200 per election cycle for district attorneys. Accordingly, Degagne-Rules defense is well received so long as she did in fact contribute to Wasley as an individual.
Interpretation of the rules seems to be as random at a state level as it is at a local level considering that statute, Republican Party rules, or certain GOP club by-laws all change depending on whom you ask. It is however, refreshing to hear that Degagne-Rule is trying to keep both her and Wasley within the legal limits on this issue.
Jane Eaton
Cortez
Via CortezJournal.com
