The state Attorney General’s Office says it will review a complaint received from the New Hampshire Republican Party Wednesday charging that a union strongly favoring the Northern Pass project made an illegal campaign contribution to Gov. Maggie Hassan’s campaign committee – and that the Hassan campaign illegally accepted it.
The NHGOP says the $25,000 contribution on June 12 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers political action committee “dramatically exceeded” the state contribution limit. The Republicans also say the IBEW campaign spending report of June 18 is questionable because although it lists total receipts of $143,667, it does not list any itemized receipts.
The New Hampshire Journal has learned of two other potentially questionable contributions that may have exceeded the limit: The SEIU Political Education Committee and the United Food and Commercial Workers Active Ballot Club each donated $10,000 to the Friends of Maggie Hassan on June 12, the same day as the IBEW PAC contribution and the same day Hassan filed for governor and changed the name — and possibly the formal structure — of her committee.
“We just received the letter (from the NHGOP) today and so at this point I really can’t comment,” said Assistant Attorney General Stephen LaBonte, who said his office will review the complaint.
A spokesman for the IBEW said Tuesday the contribution is fully “compliant” with the law and said the union was told the contribution was compliant by the governor’s campaign and the Secretary of State’s office.
The governor’s campaign Wednesday said the IBEW contribution was legal and issued this statement:
“Governor Hassan appreciates the support from workers, families and businesses across New Hampshire for her efforts to create jobs and keep our economy moving in the right direction, and we are confident that all contributions are in line with past precedent under New Hampshire law and advice that campaigns and contributors have received from the Attorney General’s office and the Secretary of State’s office over the years.”
The statement continued:
“Governor Hassan continues to oppose the Northern Pass project as currently proposed and believes that the people of New Hampshire must be heard, and the project must fully investigate burying more sections of the lines. The Governor will continue fighting to protect our scenic views and beautiful natural resources that drive our economy and define us as a place and as a people.”
The NHGOP cites an Attorney General’s opinion on spending limits issued in a February 10, 2012 letter from former Attorney General Michael Delaney to Secretary of State William Gardner.
Delaney interprets state law as saying that if a candidate agrees to the voluntary campaign spending limit, the campaign can receive from any single donor $5,000 in the exploratory phase, $5,000 in the primary election campaign and $5,000 in the general election phase – for a total of $15,000.
If the candidate does not agree to the spending limit, he or she can accept $5,000 in the exploratory phase, $1,000 in the primary campaign and $1,000 in the general election – for a total of $7,000 from a single donor.
Delaney says in the letter state law does not prohibit a campaign from “rolling over contributions received” from one phase to the next, and the “contribution limits are not affected.”
“Since Governor Hassan has not agreed to adhere to the expenditure cap, based on the Department of Justice opinion the maximum amount of contributions the Hassan Campaign can receive over all three periods from the IBEW PAC is $7,000,” wrote state GOP chair Jennifer Horn in her letter to current Attorney General Joseph Foster. “The IBEW PAC’s $25,000 contribution exceeds this limit by $18,000 and is clearly in violation of state law.”
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