HELENA – Police were investigating a late-night break-in at the office where the state’s campaign finance records are kept, but officials said Thursday no documents appeared to be missing.
The investigation comes just five days before the election and during a legal challenge by a consultant to a conservative group over files held by the Office of the Commissioner of Campaign Finances and Practices.
A Capitol security guard reported the break-in at 9:47 p.m. Wednesday, finding the door open and the basement light on. Security had been heightened in the days leading to Tuesday’s election.
The basement is where the contested documents from American Tradition Partnership consultant Christian LeFer were held until recently, as had previously been reported in the news.
Commissioner of Political Practices Jim Murry said he does not know whether somebody was trying to steal those documents.
“That’s the question everybody is asking and, frankly, that was my concern. But that’s speculative,” Murry said.
Political practices program supervisor Mary Baker said the documents are secure, and previously had been moved off-site. The staff has not found anything missing.
“It is hard to tell for sure because there are so many documents here in the office,” Baker said.
ATP is involved in several lawsuits with the state, which argues the group is engaged in illegal electioneering. The conservative group, actively attacking Attorney General Steve Bullock in a fake newspaper being distributed around the state, is also suing the state over campaign finance laws.
The group successfully overturned Montana’s 100-year-old ban on some corporate spending in elections.
The tax-exempt social welfare group convinced federal courts earlier this month to suspend the state’s campaign contribution limits, a decision reversed six days later as arguments continue in that case. That has led to turmoil in the governor’s race over a disputed $500,000 donation to Republican candidate Rick Hill, who is running against Bullock.
The documents currently held by the commissioner’s office were featured earlier this week in a “Frontline” documentary. The story said the documents had been found in a reputed Denver drug house.
LeFer filed a complaint in court earlier this week seeking the return of the documents, claiming their release will irreparably harm his business. Lefer said the documents were in his car when it was stolen in Denver in June, 2010.
Lefer’s attorney, Quentin Rhoades, did not return a call seeking comment about the break-in and ongoing legal challenge.
An Associated Press request to see the records has been rejected by Murry.
“Based on the lawsuit and investigations regarding potential violations of state law, the office of the commissioner of political practices can no longer make the documents available for public inspection until further order of the court,” Murry said.