Tester, Baucus dismiss claims they sunk Schweitzer’s Senate bid

U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus denied accusations levied by sources close to former Gov. Brian Schweitzer that Montana’s two Democratic senators were responsible for Schweitzer’s surprise decision to not seek a U.S. Senate seat in 2014.

Speaking to reporters Friday at the state Capitol following the announcement of a $2 million Blackstone LaunchPad grant for the University of Montana and Montana State University, Tester said the anonymous claims he or his political team “stuck knives” in the former governor’s U.S. Senate bid are “baloney.”

“We did nothing to inhibit him from running,” Tester said.

Schweitzer was considered by many political observers to be the Democrats’ best chance of retaining Baucus’ seat in 2014. Democrats have controlled that seat for a century, and polls showed the popular Schweitzer was the most competitive contender in a field that has not yet come into focus. Despite his oft-repeated rhetoric about the ills and aromas emanating from Washington, D.C. and Capitol Hill, most political insiders believed Schweitzer was in fact preparing to run for the Senate.

A recent article in the Australian online publication Business Insider cited several anonymous sources involved with Schweitzer’s supposed planned bid to replace the retiring Baucus. The article made waves on social media Thursday on anonymous claims that Schweitzer was going to announce his campaign on July 15, but that “bad blood” between he and Montana’s two sitting senators led him to bow out of the race.

Tester said he has “no idea” why anonymous sources close to Schweitzer would accuse the junior senator of “torpedoing” his campaign.

“I don’t have time for this stuff, even if I wanted to, which I don’t,” Tester said. “Brian Schweitzer was our best chance of winning this race. He could have probably done everything without me. He didn’t need me. The truth of the matter is that’s a fact. It’s going to be a lot more work for me now.”

Tester may have taken a slight jab at Schweitzer on the podium earlier in the day when he introduced current Gov. Steve Bullock, calling him a “breath of fresh air.” But Tester insisted reports that he had any animosity toward Schweitzer or did anything to upend his possible Senate bid are false.

“You know Brian Schweitzer. You know me. Does that shoe fit?” Tester said. “That I would actually try to go after him just doesn’t fit. I mean it’s not who I am. I’m not that kind of a person.”

Baucus, who was also present for the launch of the Blackstone grant, said he “wasn’t terribly surprised”  Schweitzer chose not to run for the Senate.

“I’ve never met anybody...who wants to decide for himself more than Brian Schweitzer,” Baucus said. “Brian is a very smart guy and a very good governor. I have not talked to Brian since that decision, but he obviously has his own reasons. But it was up to Brian, whatever those reasons are.”

Schweitzer, who recently took over as chairman of Stillwater Mining Co. board of directors, told reporters that he doesn’t want to leave Montana for Washington, D.C. Schweitzer hasn’t personally commented on the rumors that Tester or Baucus had anything to do with his decision to not enter the Senate race, but multiple stories quoting anonymous sources from all three camps have painted a picture of “bad blood” between the former Democratic governor and the state’s two Democratic senators.

Baucus waved off any implication that he or his staff were not supportive of Schweitzer’s bid to replace him.

“I think Brian was kind of conflicted whether he wanted this job in the first place,” Baucus said.

Schweitzer did not answer a call seeking comment.

Schweitzer aide’s PO Box ‘only connection’ to dark money PAC

A former top aide to Brian Schweitzer said his personal post office box is the only connection between the former governor and a pair of dark money political groups in the news this week.

On Monday, FOX Business News reported that Schweitzer, a potential 2014 Democratic front-runner for Montana’s open U.S. Senate seat, in 2009 formed a 527 political action committee that later gave more than $300,000 to a Washington, D.C.-based political nonprofit.

FOX’s David Asman alleged the Helena and Washington-based nonprofit groups appeared to have been formed for the sole purpose of doing political work for Schweitzer, a violation of IRS rules.

Asman connected the Helena-based PAC Council for Sustainable America to Schweitzer because on the group’s 2010 990 report to the IRS it listed the same Helena post office box address as Schweitzer’s 2008 gubernatorial campaign.

Franklin Hall, a former senior adviser to Schweitzer, called FOX News’ charge bogus and said Schweitzer never had any involvement in either group.

“The only connection whatsoever between the governor’s campaign and the entity that was shut down three years ago (Council for Sustainable America) is my personal P.O. Box,” Hall said.

Hall said he has been a political consultant since 2004. Prior to moving to Montana, Hall did consulting work for the Democratic Governor’s Association, which Schweitzer chaired in 2009. Hall later moved to Helena, where he did private consulting work until Schweitzer hired him in November 2010 as senior adviser.

Hall said the Council for Sustainable America was one of his clients from before the time he worked for Schweitzer in the governor’s office. Hall said after Schweitzer won re-election in 2008 the governor shut down his political campaign, but since the campaign still had some money left over it was required by law to file campaign reports.

“The entity still existed because there was leftover money,” Hall explained. “That entity was required to do regular reports with the commissioner of political practices, and when you fill out those forms, you are required to have a mailing address.”

Hall said the campaign did not have any employees or an office, so he volunteered his personal post office box address to be used on the defunct campaign’s filings. Hall said he used that same address on IRS reports filed for the Council for Sustainable America.

Hall said the Council for Sustainable America shut down in the first quarter of 2010.

In March 2009, the Council for Sustainable America received a $335,000 contribution from the Democratic Governor’s Association, three months after Schweitzer was elected chair of that organization.

During the first quarter of 2010, the group liquidated its remaining funds, totaling $306,779, to the American Sustainability Project, a 501(c)(4) political nonprofit with a registered address in Washington, D.C.

The Helena-based group’s 2010 IRS 990 form was prepared by a law firm at the same address the America Sustainability Project lists on its 990: 1666 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C.

Former Rep. Dave Gallik, D-Helena, the man Schweitzer appointed in 2011 as Commissioner of Political Practices, was treasurer of the Helena-based group until it dissolved in 2010. Gallik’s signature appeared on the group’s 2010 990 form in August 2011, but Hall said the group had not been active for more than a year at that point and the 990 filing was a required formality.

The Council for Sustainable America lists its “primary exempt purpose” as “educating voters about elected officials and candidates.”

According to its 2010 IRS form 990, the group spent $57,972 conducting opinion polls “to determine voter opinion on sustainable energy, the environment and agriculture policies.”

The group also gave $2,500 to Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley’s 2010 re-election campaign.

Hall said the purpose of the organization was to educate voters about sustainability issues.

UPDATED: Senate Dems take extraordinary action to stall proposed election referendums

Democrats in the Montana Senate attempted to pull off a parliamentary procedure that could dramatically effect the remaining three weeks of the 2013 Legislative session.

Sen. Shannon Augare, D-Browning, left the Capitol Friday in order to set up a “Call of the Senate,” a parliamentary procedure that allows a minority body to call on a missing member before business can resume.  Sources say Augare may have headed Browning. Augare’s disappearance was designed force a stop all business in the Senate on a critical deadline day for certain bills.

At issue are a pair of referenda the Senate passed on second reading yesterday that Democrats  say could dramatically impact access to the ballot. Both measures, which are sponsored by Sen. Alan Olson, R-Roundup, must pass the Senate on third reading by the Saturday noon transmittal deadline or they are dead.

Democrats deemed Senate Bill 405 and Senate Bill 408 so damaging to voting access – and Democrats’ chances at the polls – that were willing to risk the fate of key legislation – including Medicaid expansion, a state pension fix, education funding, etc. – to stop the measures from moving forward to the House.

The first measure, SB405, would ask voters to eliminate same-day voter registration. The second bill, SB408 would put a referendum on the ballot that would create a “top two primary” system in which only the top two vote-getters would qualify for the November general election ballot.

The showdown lead to a raucous and unprecedented scene on the Senate floor where, after nearly three hours of stalled action, Republicans resumed Senate business and moved forward with the third reading of bills as Democrats pounded on their desks in defiance. Sen. Mike Phillips, D-Bozeman, repeatedly read from the rule book demanding that  the Democrats be recognized as Senate President Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, tried to conduct the third reading business over the loud objections of Democratic supporters in the gallery.

After completion of third reading Sen. Larry Jent, D-Bozeman, motioned officially made a motion for a Call of the Senate. When Essmann asked if he had five legislators willing to second his motion, nearly all of the Democrats raised their hands to the cheers of people packed into the Senate gallery.

If all 50 members of the Senate aren’t present, then either party can motion for a Call of the Senate, which means business cannot resume until all 50 members are present. It would take a 2/3 majority of the Senate to override the Call of the Senate. Republicans don’t have 2/3 majority in the Senate.

In a press release issued after the Senate broke, Democrats accused Republican leaders of abusing the legislative referendum process.

“Enough is enough,” Democratic minority leader Jon Sesso said. “Montanans deserve a democracy that works, but abusing the rules and shutting Montanans out of the ballot box is against everything our constituents value.”

Perennial Libertarian Candidate Mike Fellows was at the Capitol Friday. Fellows said he supported the Democrats’ tactic:

“I think it’s a good strategy,” Fellows said. “When you look at states like Washington, when they passed a (Top 2 primary) in 2008, there hasn't been a third-party candidate on the ballot since. It’s designed to destroy competition.”

Some Republicans scorned the Democrats’ tactic while others said it was a legitimate parliamentary gambit that failed.

Bowen Greenwood, executive director of the Montana Republican Party, said Democrats in the Montana State Senate reached a new low.

“Trying to stop a crucial vote from happening, they shouted and pounded their desks and packed the gallery with partisan allies trying to drown out their opposition,” Greenwood said. “Thank God mob rule did not prevail. Senate President Jeff Essmann did the right thing by refusing to be intimidated by anti-democratic, mob rule tactics.”

Sen. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, said he didn’t blame Democrats for trying to use a procedural tactic to try to stop legislation they deemed unacceptable.

"I would hope it does not impact the rest of the session. It was a process gambit that didn't necessarily work,” Jones said. “A process gambit was designed and we responded to it, and now we roll on.”

I’ll post more details as I learn them.