#MTGOV DAILY RUNDOWN: Higher Percentage of Montanans Give to Gianforte, Continues to Reject Special Interest Money

Greg Gianforte’s message to create more high-wage Montana jobs is resonating with voters with 75% of his money coming from Montanans compared to only 68% giving to Governor Bullock’s campaign.

·         Of Gianforte’s $1.3 million from individuals, 75 percent -- $985,000 -- is from Montana –KXLH, 06/30/2016

·         Of the $1.9 million that Bullock has raised from individuals, almost $1.3 million, or 68 percent, has come from Montanans –KXLH, 06/30/2016

While Greg is rejecting ALL special interest money, Governor Bullock has amassed nearly $110,000 in special interest money–and refuses to join Greg’s pledge to REJECT any money from special interest groups.

·         Bullock has raised just over $2 million, including almost $110,000 from political action committees (PACs) and political party groups … Gianforte is not accepting any PAC funds. –KXLH, 06/30/2016

·         Before speaking in Helena on Thursday, Greg Gianforte walked into the office of Gov. Steve Bullock and hand-delivered a folder that contained a letter to Bullock and a pledge not to accept money from political action committees. –Lee Newspapers, 01/21/2016

·         “I refuse to accept any campaign contributions from special-interest PACs, state and federal … I will tear up and/or return any special-interest PAC donations previously sent to my campaign. Montana voters deserve a clean campaign focused on the issues.” –Lee Newspapers, 01/21/2016

Bullock has also gone all-in for Wall Street’s corporate cash raising $30 million mostly all of which are corporate donations while he served as Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) last year. In addition, Bullock raised nearly $5 million in dark money. For Bullock to continually condemn corporate and dark money and then turn around and take tens of millions of dollars of it is the height of hypocrisy.

·         Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a vocal critic of corporate money in politics, now heads up the Democratic Governors Association, which raises millions in corporate dollars to help elect Democratic governors –Lee Newspapers, 12/16/2014

·         Bullock, who has decried the influence of corporate money in state politics as attorney general and as governor, may find it difficult to take up that mantle again in 2016 after helping an organization raise corporate money to influence elections. –Great Falls Tribune, 11/21/2014

·         We have seen the rise of so-called “dark money” groups that target candidates, yet refuse to tell the voting public who they really are and what they really represent … These groups believe they can violate our laws and corrupt our government in order to create a system that benefits their special interests. –State of State, 01/30/2013