Council members baffled by campaign contribution ruling

City Council members were baffled last week when they found out that corporations are prohibited from making campaign contributions to candidates seeking public office.

After all, some of them have accepted corporate contributions in the past.

According to e-mails obtained Monday by The Gazette, city officials discovered that corporate contributions are prohibited from the Public Communications Office, which keeps them apprised of stories that reporters are working on.

At 4:33 p.m. Wednesday, they received an e-mail alerting them that The Gazette wanted to know whether candidates could accept campaign contributions from corporations.

“Staff responded that the City of Colorado Springs has adopted the campaign finance law of the state of Colorado, which does not allow contributions from corporations or labor organizations,” the e-mail stated.

“Wait a minute!” Councilman Scott Hente responded less than 30 minutes later.

“Since when don’t we accept contributions from corporations or labor organizations?” he asked. “Looking back on my previous campaign donations, which I disclosed in my campaign donation reports, I’ll bet close to half my donations came from corporations as well as getting money from the (Police Protective Association) and the (Professional Firefighters Association.)

When did we change the rules?”

“I would like the statement to the Gazette confirmed by (City Clerk) Kathy Young and (City Attorney) Pat Kelly,” Vice Mayor Larry Small wrote at 6:47 p.m.

Councilman Bernie Herpin chimed in later that night.

“I don’t recall voting on this and, if we did, I don’t recall the ramifications being pointed out especially that we could not accept corporate donations,” Herpin wrote.

“Does this mean we are also under the dollar limits of the state? If we did something like this, we need to reverse it and get back to the ‘old’ way!” he added.

The next day, Herpin expressed disappointment that no one had answered his question.

“I am not sure why our city staff is giving the media information on our campaign finance rules, but has not responded to questions from the Vice Mayor, CM Hente, and me,” he wrote in an e-mail to Young and Kelly.

“I am not sure why we, apparently, have given candidates conflicting information,” he added. “I am also uncertain what our rules are and where they are codified.”