Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices, former Democratic legislator and PAC man Dave Gallik, resigned yesterday following accusations by the agency’s four permanent employees that he was misusing state resources and not spending enough time on the job. Intelligent Discontent and 4and20blackbirds are following the story and have extensive comment threads worth reading.
Gallik, some may remember, was treasurer of the Democratic Legislators Alumni Association back in 2010, an outfit accused of dubious contributions. Reported the Flathead Beacon’s Dan Testa:
Derek Skees, the Republican candidate for Whitefish’s House District 4, and Steve Lavin, the Republican candidate in the three-way race for Kalispell’s House District 8, pointed to recently disclosed campaign finance reports showing the Montana Democratic Party paid $49,384 to a political action committee (PAC) called the Democratic Legislators Alumni Association, the treasurer of which is David Gallik.
The Democratic Legislators Alumni Association in turn gave $9,000 to Whitefish-based North Valley PAC Sept. 13, and $15,000 to Bozeman-based Values Energy & Growth (VEG) PAC. A mailer recently circulated in Kalispell, paid for by VEG-PAC, in support of Bill Jones, the Independent candidate, calling him the “real conservative” in the race.
Down at the Billings Gazette, Tom Lutey provided more details on VEG:
The Democratic Legislators Alumni Association had given $15,000 to VEGpac the day VEGpac was formed and another $10,000 on Oct. 8. Also required to reveal its finances Thursday, the Democratic Legislators Alumni Association listed just one donation from June 24 to Oct. 16: The Montana Democratic Party, which gave the Democratic Legislators Alumni Association $49,384.
The Alumni Association’s treasurer, former Democratic Rep. David Gallik, said he didn’t know who VEGpac’s members were and hadn’t seen its advertising. However, the two groups share the same political philosophy and support candidates who do also. Gallik said the Democratic Legislators Alumni Association began donating to VEGpac after being put in touch with the group by the Democratic Party.
Democrats were frank about the funding connection.
“You’re right, there’s not too many kinks in that pipe,” said Martin Kidston, Montana Democratic Party spokesperson.
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The party issued this statement: “Dave Gallik can effectively help the outcome of our legislative races. Former legislators with Gallik’s experience know how campaigns are effectively run. It’s not unprecedented that a state party provides resources to a PAC like this one.”
Dave Gallik the PAC man of 2010 is the man Governor Brian Schweitzer appointed Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices in 2011. It was a bad choice from the gitgo, partisan in every which way, and with every appearance of at least a modicum of ire toward the Republicans who rejected Schweitzer’s first choice.
This debacle underscores the need for a politically neutral commissioner — and a commissioner well enough paid that he doesn’t need to moonlight. The 57-thousand-dollar salary is a deliberate attempt to downgrade the importance of the office. Furthermore, no elected official or former elected official should ever hold the post. Were I governor, I would appoint from the ranks of law school professors, agency attorneys from out-of-state, and jurists who served in jurisdictions where judges are not elected.