DARK MONEY
INVESTIGATION

Out of State Dark money source under State investigation. Millions of out of state Dollars given to campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Montana in question!

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices is questioning an out of state group that is funneling millions to a group that wants recreational marijuana legalized in Montana.

Our reporting about the North Fund group led state campaign officials to ask their own questions.

North Fund claims to be a non-partisan social impact organization.

We tried to dig into where they raised over $2.9 million to give to New Approach Montana, the group behind legalizing recreational marijuana in Montana.

Campaign finance forms won’t tell you who’s donated to North Fund, so we took that to the Commissioner of Political Practices, who had his own questions.

“As you pointed out there’s not much we can find out about them and they filed as an incidental committee and so vie reviewed their filings and reviewed what I could find on the company. I’ve reclassified them as an independent committee and I expect the committee to disclose its contributors by September 30,” Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jeffery Mangan said.

North Fund has 15 days left to appeal a classification change that would require them to disclose donors.

No answer from North Fund when we emailed asking a response.

Earlier this month, the group told us “We have a diverse set of donors who are committed to bringing meaningful change to communities around the country.”

Mangan tells us he expects North Fund to hand over the list of contributors.

“Montanans expect disclosure and transparency and folks that become involved in their elections so it doesn’t matter what the issue is but they do expect transparency,” said Mangan.

We’re told none of this will impact the New Approach Montana’s campaign.

As for public disclosure? We’ll keep working for you to find out more about North Fund and see how the state’s top political spending cop follows up. (Source NBC Montana)