Democrats file campaign complaint, Dubie responds

The Vermont Democratic Party has filed a campaign finance violation complaint with the Vermont Attorney General's office against Brian Dubie and the Republican Governor's Association (RGA) based on reports that Dubie and the RGA coordinated the filming of the most recent RGA purchase on Dubie's behalf in violation of the law. Lieutenant Governor Dubie issued a strongly worded rebuttal saying it was a "cheap shot" by the "most ethically challenged member of the Legislature" who is "desperate to divert attention from his record."
Dubie is running for governor against Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin. At this point Shumlin is still only the presumptive nominee as the Democratic primary is going through a recount.
"Brian Dubie doesn't have a public schedule, yet Washington Republicans spending thousand of dollars on his behalf knew exactly where he would be when to tape a television commercial. This evidence and more evidence coming to light points to a coordinated effort between the Republican Governor's Association and Brian Dubie which would be illegal," said Paul Tencher, coordinated campaign director for the Vermont Democratic Party. "Republicans in Vermont have a track record of ignoring campaign finance laws to give them an advantage and it is important that the Attorney General investigates the evidence we have presented in this complaint quickly."
The statement released by the VDP said: "In 2004, a Chittenden County judge ruled ads purchased on behalf of Governor Jim Douglas were illegal, because the RGA was in violation of the state's campaign finance laws. Unfortunately, the ruling was not handed down for weeks giving Douglas over $200,000 in illegal campaign contributions."
The letter says that Brian Dubie and the Republican Governor's Association skirted state law 17 V.S.A 2809 (c) that forbids expenditures on behalf of a candidate over the legal limit if the campaign facilitates the expenditure. Independent expenditures are legal under Vermont law as long as the expenditure is not coordinated in any way with the candidate benefiting from the expenditure.
The VDP quoted Governor Jim Douglas in a Times Argus story from the 2004 case: "I am scrupulous when it comes to election laws which allow me to have no contact with the RGA whatsoever, and it is terribly frustrating."
Dubie Campaign: Complaint ‘Absolutely False’
Dubie’s campaign said the complaint involving the RGA TV ad is ‘absolutely false.’
‘Election law is very clear on this issue,’ Dubie campaign manager Corry Bliss said. ‘Campaigns are legally barred from coordinating with outside groups, and we are diligent in adhering to both the letter and the spirit of the law. Let me be perfectly clear in saying we had absolutely nothing to do with the RGA’s ad. I guess when your opponent is the most ethically challenged member of the Legislature as voted by his peers, you have to expect this sort of cheap shot. Peter Shumlin knows he cannot win on the issues and is desperate to distract voters. He is desperate to divert attention from his record of supporting job-killing tax increases in the Senate and the ethical cloud hanging over his head.’
Bliss noted Shumlin has also failed to respond to the Dubie campaign’s call to publicly release his personal financial assets, as all Vermont gubernatorial candidates have customarily done.
‘In the past 48 hours, it has come to light that Peter Shumlin’s biggest contributor, who gave his campaign $8000, is someone he appointed to a board where he crafted tax policy to save himself millions of dollars," Bliss said. "Today, Peter Shumlin once again refused to release his assets and liabilities as is custom in Vermont gubernatorial campaigns. This is someone who makes $1 million a year and uses his personal wealth to finance his campaigns. What is Peter Shumlin trying to hide? What is he afraid of? Vermonters have a right to know who gubernatorial candidates are beholden to. I realize he’s the most ethically challenged member of the Legislature, but even by Peter Shumlin’s standards, this week he has sunk to a new low.’
The story Bliss refers to is in regards to David Blittersdorf, founder of NRG Systems in Hinesburg, among other renewable energy-related companies. (SEE STORY)
Sources: VDP. Friends of Brian Dubie. 9.9.2010
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