Democrats’ R.I. donation scrutinized

Maine Democratic Party officials on Wednesday faced renewed questions about whether the party’s $10,000 donation to a U.S. Senate candidate in Rhode Island was part of an effort to skirt campaign finance laws.

Pat Colwell, the state party chairman, confirmed Wednesday that a member of Democrat Matt Brown’s Rhode Island Senate committee donated $6,000 to the Maine party on Jan. 13. That online donation came about two weeks after the Maine party gave $10,000 to Brown’s campaign.

It could be a violation of federal campaign finance laws if donors who had already given the maximum contribution to Brown were directed to give to state parties with the expectation that the money would eventually make its way back to Brown.

“That certainly was not the case here,” Colwell said of the party’s donation to Brown and the later donation to the Maine party from the Brown supporter. “I can’t stress enough that we do not accept any contributions that are earmarked in any way.”

In this case, Rhode Island business executive Richard Bready had already donated the maximum $4,200 to Brown’s campaign before giving to the state parties in Maine, Massachusetts and Hawaii – all of which had earlier donated to Brown’s campaign.

The Maine donation to Brown, Colwell said, came at the request of the Maine party’s former executive director Rich Pelletier, who now works for Brown.

In earlier statements to the press, Brown campaign officials have denied any wrongdoing. But in the interest of avoiding the appearance of impropriety, the campaign said it would return the three state party donations totaling $25,000.

Colwell said he was unsure whether the Maine party’s $10,000 donation had been returned as of Wednesday. Maine party officials said they would return Bready’s $6,000 donation if asked.

Bready did not return a call seeking comment.

Campaign finance watchdog groups have followed the case closely, and despite assurances from those involved, were skeptical of the arrangement.

“It clearly does look like a way for contributors … to funnel more money to the Brown campaign,” said Massie Ritsch of the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington D.C.- based nonprofit research group that tracks money in politics.

“But it’s a difficult thing to prove,” continued Ritsch, who later questioned why a state party as far away as Hawaii would take such an interest in a Rhode Island Senate race.

“It’s a curious coincidence with a curious combination of characters,” he said.

Officials with Common Cause, a nonpartisan Washington D.C.-based group promoting openness in government, said while the situation appeared to “raise questions,” it spoke to a larger issue.

“It’s a flawed system,” said Common Cause spokeswoman Mary Boyle, who lamented the increasing dependence on big money in modern campaigns. “It’s just another example of why we need public financing of campaigns at the … federal level.”

Federal Election Commission officials would not say whether they had launched an investigation into the matter.

Colwell on Wednesday said the FEC had not contacted him, and he didn’t expect any such call. While he stressed his confidence in the legality of the donations, Colwell said he did have one regret.

“The only mistake we made was getting involved in vicious Rhode Island politics,” he said.