Sanders (R)-aligned ballot committees may have violated finance rules

A pair of ballot question committees associated with Gov. Sarah Sanders may have violated state finance rules this year as they worked to disqualify or defeat proposed amendments related to abortion, medical marijuana and her signature education overhaul.

The committees, formed by Sanders campaign manager Chris Caldwell and others with close ties to Sanders, contributed and received $100,000 from one another in April and July. The two transactions fall into a complicated maze of campaign finance rules and appear to be in violation of state ethics rules.

Ballot question committees are a type of campaign operation that groups register with the Arkansas Ethics Commission, a state agency, so they can collect money from supporters and spend it on things like flyers, mailers and TV advertising. Supporters of the abortion and education amendments that failed to make the November ballot used ballot question committees to support their causes this year, while other groups like the Arkansas Family Council formed committees to oppose them.

But the committees come with a complex set of rules. When the groups file their initial paperwork, they must say exactly what ballot issue they are supporting or opposing (supporting the medical marijuana amendment, for instance). The groups must spend their money on exactly the issue they formed around. The committees must file monthly reports that show their contributions and expenditures. Perusing the filings each month is a good way to gauge the successes or struggles of the supporters and opponents of an issue in the months before Election Day.



https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2024/09/20/sanders-aligned-ballot-committees-may-have-violated-finance-rules