DENVER (AP) — A group that solicited donations to seek a recall of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis gave $11,000 of that money to its own employees and board members.
Colorado Politics reported Thursday that the gifts by the Official Recall Colorado Governor Jared Polis committee were disclosed in a group filing with the secretary of state's office.
The group never submitted a petition for approval from the secretary of state to seek voter signatures to put a recall election on the ballot. Two other organizations sought and failed to collect enough signatures to force a recall election against the first-term Democratic governor.
The Official Recall committee's chair, Juli-Andra Fuentes, didn't immediately return a call for comment from Colorado Politics.
Those receiving what were described as "gifts" from the committee included Shane Donnelley, committee manager, $5,000; Mona Lisa Pascoe, board secretary, $3,000; and Renee McGill, a worker focusing on Weld County, $3,000.
The committee raised more than $114,000 in cash and other contributions and reported more than $100,000 in expenditures.
Among them was a payment of $29,657 to an independent expenditure committee organized by Fuentes called Colorado for Trump, KUSA-TV reported on Tuesday. Fuentes' group is not affiliated with the official Donald J. Trump for President Inc., re-election campaign, which told KUSA it could take action against Fuentes' group.
In August, the secretary of state's office dismissed a donor's complaint against the Official Recall committee, stating that campaign finance law "does not prevent an issue committee that has collected contributions from deciding not to pursue a recall."
