Montana GOP hits green groups with FEC complaint

The Montana Republican Party filed a Federal Election Commission complaint Wednesday that said outside groups violated spending laws in a mailer backing a Libertarian Senate candidate.

The party alleged the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Montana Conservation Voters and the political action committee Montana Hunters and Anglers Leadership Fund failed to identify themselves on a mailer advocating for Libertarian candidate Dan Cox.

It accused the groups of attempting to split votes between Cox and GOP Senate candidate Rep. Denny Rehberg. Rehberg is locked in a tight battle with incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, whom LCV has backed with nearly $1.4 million in spending.

“Jon Tester and his liberal allies realize that Tester cannot win this election on his own, so they have engaged in illegal, deceptive practices in a desperate attempt to trick conservative voters,” said Montana GOP spokesman Chris Shipp said in a Wednesday statement.

The Montana GOP cited the PAC’s recent $146,358 mailing expense and a previous $410,000 contribution from LCV to the PAC as the basis for its complaint. It also noted the Hunters and Anglers PAC has ties to Tester and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

LCV said its donation was spent in the summer on advertisements attacking Rehberg. It said it did not give the Hunters and Anglers PAC money to support Cox.

“We flatly deny this ridiculous claim by Dennis Rehberg’s allies. LCV does not support Libertarian Dan Cox and is not funding any activities to support him,” LCV spokesman Jeff Gohringer told The Hill on Wednesday.

The Hill rates the race as a “toss-up.”