The Dog Who Ate Rasor's Homework

It looks like local Democrat State Representative and candidate for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Holly Raser is riding the razor's edge of campaign finance laws.

The Billings Gazette reports that she not only made a boo-boo on her last campaign finance report, but that she may have inadvertently exposed how she has been laundering large loans from wealthy family members into potentially illegal campaign donations.

Here’s what happened:

On Friday, Raser filed her quarterly campaign finance report, listing an $11,000 loan to her campaign from her stepfather, Robert L. Moore of Laguna Niguel, Calif., and a $5,000 campaign loan from her sister and treasurer, Vicki Thornton of Arlee, for a total of $16,000.

Under state law, loans to campaigns are considered contributions. For the race for superintendent of public instruction, the maximum that can be donated or lent to a candidate is $250 for the primary election and $250 for the general election campaigns.

The Gazette State Bureau verified with the political practices office Friday that the loans exceeded legal limits and called Raser's treasurer, Thornton, to inquire. She was out of town.

Raser sent an e-mail to the State Bureau over the weekend saying she had faxed a revised report to Unsworth's office. She said the $16,000 loan from her relatives should have been made to her personally instead of the campaign, and then she would loan the same sum to the campaign.

On Wednesday, Raser said she assumes she will have to return the two checks for $16,000 to her sister and father.

"If they choose to loan me the money, I would put it in my personal account," she said, and not in the campaign account.

The Scoop agrees with GOP executive director Chris Wilcox, who labels this "an egregious violation of both the letter and the spirit of the law" and "a blatant violation of the public trust from a sitting legislator."

Whether or not the Office of Political Practices rules this as against the law or not, Rasor has violated the principles of transparency in reporting the source of campaign donations that is the fundamental intent of campaign finance laws.

Candidates should not be able to accept personal loans from family or friends, and then list them as their own personal loans to the campaign, hiding from the public the true source of the money.

How is this any different from weathly individuals skirting donation limits by giving money to friends and family to contribute under their own name?

And Rasor's excuse?

Raser, reached later, said she made an unintentional mistake when filling out the latest campaign finance report and takes full responsibility. She said she completed the report because her treasurer and sister was out of town.

The Scoop thinks that by claiming ignorance, Rasor is using the political equivalent of the "dog ate my homework" line.

A stunning response for someone wanting to be the top education leader in our state, and an even more mystifying comment from a candidate who has run many times in the past.

The Scoop wonders how many previous Rasor campaigns included large personal donations, as her comments seem to indicate this laundering technique may be business as usual.