Posted: June 4, 2012 at 5:03 pm

Schweitzer Tells Supreme Court Where to Put Citizens United

Today’s must-read article is a strongly worded op-ed column in the New York Times by our own Governor Schweitzer, who writes that Montana has “fresh mountain air” and implores the conservative-dominated Supreme Court not to “blow the stink of Washington” our way.

At issue is the sequel case to Citizens United, called American Tradition Partnership v. Bullock. Attorney General Bullock will soon be arguing before the Supreme Court in defense of our anti-corruption law dating back to 1912, which the Supreme Court has forbidden Montana from enforcing because it violates the holding in Citizens United that corporations have free speech rights to influence elections.

Schweitzer tells a colorful history of William Clark bribing his way to becoming US Senator and also discusses what he says is “a rare, pure form of democracy” in Montana that can be traced to strict controls on campaign finance.

The full piece can be found here.

Posted: May 2, 2012 at 7:32 am

Hill Campaign Financed by Convicted Felons

Rick Hill set the bar high when he first ran for congress.

He attacked his opponent in the press for taking money from an organization he said “had ties to organized crime.”

An Associated Press article (pasted below the fold) from ’96 quoted Hill as saying:

“The fact that he took this contribution is arrogant, insensitive to our Montana values and insulting to Montana voters.”

As it turns out, Congressman Hill has himself taken large sums of money from well-known convicted felons.

Super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Former Congressman Tom Delay, and former Montana Businessman Dick Dasen have exactly two things in common.

1. They’re convicted felons.

2. They finance Congressman Rick Hill’s campaigns.

Tom Delay is the former U.S. House Majority Leader. Delay is also a convicted felon who contributed $5000 from his Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC) – as well as $1,000 from his Congressional Committee PAC – to Congressman Hill’s campaigns. Delay earned his felony conviction after he was found guilty of conspiring to circumvent a state law against corporate contributions to political campaigns. Specifically, that meant conviction for one charge of money laundering, and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Dick Dasen – a felon and former Montana businessman – contributed $500 to Congressman Hill. He later was convicted in Montana on five counts of sex charges related to a major prostitution scandal. Dasen spent an estimated $1 million to $5 million for women to have sex with him, usually in hotels.

Jack Abramoff is a convicted felon and former lobbyist who amassed a fortune by bilking Indian tribes of millions of dollars. His fortune allowed him to contribute $250 to Congressman Hill. He later plead guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials in a wide-ranging, D.C. corruption scandal. Furthermore, he plead guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges related to the casino boats he bought.

And so, it looks like Congressman Hill’s hypocrisy is coming back to haunt him. Besides treating his staff like dog crap and being a terrible boss, this former congressman has a seedy crowd of convicts who have funded his political endeavors.

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