BILLINGS – Democrats on Tuesday accused Republican Steve Daines of campaigning illegally for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jon Tester, who is up for re-election in 2012.
The Billings Gazette reports that in a complaint filed with the Federal Elections Commission, Daines is accused of running a shadow campaign using soft money from a Colorado political action committee. The PAC, called Common Sense Issues, posted a YouTube ad in February attacking Tester and fellow Democratic Sen. Max Baucus. In the video, Daines appears to be stating his biographical information and criticizing Baucus and Tester.
David Benson, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, said the video essentially launches Daines’ campaign for the seat. The party’s complaint says the Bozeman businessman is more than $5,000 into his campaign and is beyond merely “testing the waters” for a political run.
“If a challenger isn’t going to follow basic election laws as we fight for those Montana values, we’ll demand accountability,” Benson said.
Daines maintained his non-candidate status Tuesday and suggested Democrats are trying to silence him with the complaint, which he said he has not yet seen.
“We’ve not received anything, other than from the media,” he told the Gazette. “I’m curious that they’re talking to you before they’ve filed this with the FEC. I’m not even a candidate right now.”