Citizens for Honest and Open government are being secretive once again. And the money trail starts to warm up
In their filing today, Dwight Hale, who has been running from the press like a scalded dog on behalf of South Dakotans for Honest and Open Government, finally had to cough up with a report as to who is backing his campaign which produced two ultra-negative commercials against Rounds on the gubernatorial race.
The source for the funding for South Dakotans for Honest and Open Government?
It's another PAC. Imagine that. Sounds like other money shuffles I've reported on.
This political action committee playing candyman to Dwight's group is called Vision South Dakota. And it's registered to a James Endres of Watertown. This appears to the be the same James Endres who was a democratic legislative leader in the late 1970’s.
Of $26,200 that was put into the campaign, Hale put in $100, and Endres’ group put in $26,100 of the cash. Where did all that money go? According to the political action committee report, all of the money went to Gunn Productions out of the Sioux Falls area.
(Click to enlarge any of the pictures)
Who are they? Oddly enough for a company producing attack ads against a Republican, I found a link to their website on the Lifelight Christian music festival sponsor page. And it gets better.
According to the website, Gunn Productions is owned and operated by Tim Mikkels. And they’ve done commercials for Bill Janklow for Congress, the SD Highway Patrol’s Safer Highway program, the jingle for the South Dakota State Fair, and also work for Dakota Magic Casino.
And by coincidence, his company is also seemingly handling hard hitting negative ads against Governor Rounds...
Tim Mikkels proudly displays under his page of talent that he's worked with a picture of him with Governor Rounds with the caption - TALENTS WE HAVE WORKED WITH - Governor Mike Rounds, Tim, and their better halves. So, he seems to intimate he's glad to work with him, but attacks him at the same time.
If you look at the clients he lists on his website, they aren’t claiming the Citizens for Honest and Open Government attack ads.
Who else is involved? We should know in another day or so. Vision South Dakota has yet to officially file their PAC report because it lacks information. But I'm told it's in the Secretary of State's office and as soon as the information is clarified, it's going to be posted. The jury is still out on whether this will finally identify who is behind the attack ads, or if it's going to lead us on another game of round robin trying to track funds from one political action committee to another.
The PAC money shuffle. Hiding from the press. Unidentified people hiding behind the scenes. Once again, the Citizens for Honest and Open Government show they are neither.
The source for the funding for South Dakotans for Honest and Open Government?It's another PAC. Imagine that. Sounds like other money shuffles I've reported on.
This political action committee playing candyman to Dwight's group is called Vision South Dakota. And it's registered to a James Endres of Watertown. This appears to the be the same James Endres who was a democratic legislative leader in the late 1970’s.
Of $26,200 that was put into the campaign, Hale put in $100, and Endres’ group put in $26,100 of the cash. Where did all that money go? According to the political action committee report, all of the money went to Gunn Productions out of the Sioux Falls area.
(Click to enlarge any of the pictures)Who are they? Oddly enough for a company producing attack ads against a Republican, I found a link to their website on the Lifelight Christian music festival sponsor page. And it gets better.
According to the website, Gunn Productions is owned and operated by Tim Mikkels. And they’ve done commercials for Bill Janklow for Congress, the SD Highway Patrol’s Safer Highway program, the jingle for the South Dakota State Fair, and also work for Dakota Magic Casino.
And by coincidence, his company is also seemingly handling hard hitting negative ads against Governor Rounds...
Tim Mikkels proudly displays under his page of talent that he's worked with a picture of him with Governor Rounds with the caption - TALENTS WE HAVE WORKED WITH - Governor Mike Rounds, Tim, and their better halves. So, he seems to intimate he's glad to work with him, but attacks him at the same time.
If you look at the clients he lists on his website, they aren’t claiming the Citizens for Honest and Open Government attack ads.Who else is involved? We should know in another day or so. Vision South Dakota has yet to officially file their PAC report because it lacks information. But I'm told it's in the Secretary of State's office and as soon as the information is clarified, it's going to be posted. The jury is still out on whether this will finally identify who is behind the attack ads, or if it's going to lead us on another game of round robin trying to track funds from one political action committee to another.
The PAC money shuffle. Hiding from the press. Unidentified people hiding behind the scenes. Once again, the Citizens for Honest and Open Government show they are neither.
Comments
When you piece this one together, please do the same with the Gov Club. Thanks
And as I've said before.. Like I'm going to tell you?
maybe wannabe heidepreim will offer to convert it to a women's shelter, or a food pantry? he has Minnehaha Country Club, he doesnt need this mansion.
c'mon dems, admit it. you wanna live there too!
2) The Governor's Club is nothing more than a fundraising strategy for the Republican Party. It is not a separate entity, so donations to the fund are reported as donations to the party.
3) I have heard rumors that the "brains" behind these attack ads is Curt Johnson. Interestingly, Curt is also the treasurer of the "Billion for Governor" campaign. How do you like that for "honest and open"?
People are getting tired of the money laundering and you cannot hardly blame them. This is really a bunch of crap.
Um, that one didn't work, either.
Remember the media to maintain their credibility REQUIRE ALL negative ads PROVE their facts are correct before they run them.
Maybe SD should wake up and pay attention tot he real Governor Rounds. He is sneaky like that pheasant in the ad.
Secondly, it is not true that over half of state contracts go to out of state companies - either as number of contracts or as total value.
http://efotg.nrcs.usda.gov/references/public/SD/EngTecNoteSD-2003-3CathodicProtection.pdf
says what a fed employee may and may not do. on the do not list is
"solicit or receive political contributions (may be done in certain limited situations by federal labor or other employee organizations)"