Today, Secretary of State Bernie Buescher announced the adoption of revised campaign finance rules.  Included in the rules is new Rule 4.25, which prohibits committees from reporting lump sum payments to credit card companies instead of reporting expenditures made by credit card, and which clarifies reporting requirements regarding reimbursement payments to candidates or third parties.  Ethics Watch supported the rule change.

Today, the House Ethics Committee voted to dismiss the ethics complaint filed by Ethics Watch against Rep. Steve King (R-HD-54), but also voted to send a letter outlining their concerns regarding Rep. King’s conduct. 

Yesterday, Ethics Watch filed a supplemental brief in a case that promises to shed the state’s first light on the effect of Citizens United v. FEC on Colorado campaign finance law.

Today, Ethics Watch submitted to Secretary of State Bernie Buescher comments in support of a proposed campaign finance rule that would require campaigns to provide detailed disclosures of expenditures that were paid for by the candidate, third parties or by credit card and later reimbursed by the campaign. Secretary Buescher's proposed rule would end the practice of reporting only the reimbursement or credit card payment and not the underlying expenditure that was being reimbursed. If adopted, the new rule will increase transparency of campaign spending.