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Opponents question Holtzman’s campaign contributions

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER ” GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez’s campaign said opponent Marc Holtzman is trying to sidestep campaign finance laws after a company owned by his father donated $100,000 to a committee formed to defeat a ballot measure.

The committee, “If C Wins, You Lose,” is running a TV ad featuring Holtzman denouncing Referendum C, which will ask voters in November whether to forgo billions in tax rebates to help fix problems with the state budget. Critics said the ad give Holtzman television time for his gubernatorial campaign, which has made defeating the measure a key theme.

Contributions to gubernatorial campaigns are limited to $1,000 per person, but contributions to issues committees ” formed to defeat or pass a ballot issue ” are unlimited.



Jewelcor Management of Pennsylvania wrote the $100,000 check to the issue committee on Sept. 1. Holtzman’s father, Seymour, is chairman and president of Jewelcor.

Holtzman on Monday said he asked family and friends to donate money to help defeat Referendum C, but he said the donations were not an attempt to skirt Colorado’s strict campaign finance laws.



“They’re separate elections,” he said.

John Marshall, Beauprez’s campaign coordinator, questioned the contribution.

“The very notion that this is anything other than a blatant attempt to sidestep campaign finance laws is absurd,” Marshall said.

The donation also drew criticism from Katy Atkinson, spokeswoman for Ref C proponents.

“It’s pretty obvious what’s going on here,” Atkinson said Monday. “Marc’s father can’t legally donate $100,000 to Marc’s campaign, but he can donate that to an issues committee.”


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