A Montana ballot initiative that would ban campaign contributions from corporations and other “artificial persons” is drawing scrutiny over how it has been financed — namely, through a nonprofit organization that is not required to disclose where its money comes from.
Why It Matters
Campaign finance transparency is emerging as a central issue heading into Montana’s fall election cycle. The irony of an anti-dark-money effort relying on dark money to fund its own operations has raised questions about whether the initiative’s backers are practicing what they preach — and whether regulators have properly examined the group’s legal status.
What Happened
The initiative, known as The Montana Plan or I-194, would prohibit campaign finance contributions from corporations and other non-human legal entities. It is being promoted by a ballot issue committee called The Montana Plan, which is required by state law to publish its donor information.
However, nearly all of that committee’s donations — totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars — flowed from a separate entity called the Transparent Election Initiative, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit. Under federal law, such nonprofits are not required to disclose their donors to the public, meaning the original sources of funding behind I-194 remain unknown.
Jeff Mangan, a former Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, established the Transparent Election Initiative. When asked about the arrangement, Mangan acknowledged the contradiction, saying simply, “The irony isn’t lost on me.”
Tom Moore, a Washington D.C.-based fellow with the Center for American Progress, is credited with helping develop the initiative.
Regulatory Questions
Montana’s current Commissioner of Political Practices, Chris Gallus, has raised concerns about whether Transparent Election Initiative should have registered as an “incidental committee” under state campaign finance rules — a classification that would trigger additional disclosure requirements. That question remains unresolved.
Campaign finance watchdog group OpenSecrets has flagged the broader problem that arrangements like this one create. Brendan Glavin of OpenSecrets said the use of dark money puts voters at a disadvantage, noting that “individuals and organizations, perhaps corporations, are trying to influence elections and policy via spending, but the voters don’t know who is trying to influence them.”
By the Numbers
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations flowed to The Montana Plan ballot committee, nearly all from Transparent Election Initiative
- Approximately 1,200 people attended a Butte event headlined by former Biden administration Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg promoting I-194
- I-194 would apply to all “artificial persons,” a category that includes corporations and similar legal entities
High-Profile Endorsements
Despite the funding questions, I-194 has attracted endorsements from a broad coalition of political figures spanning both parties. Former Republican Governor Marc Racicot has backed the measure, as have former Democratic Governor Steve Bullock and former Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Tester.
Buttigieg headlined a campaign event for the initiative in Butte, while progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made an appearance in Missoula in support of the plan. Sam Forstag, who won the Democratic nomination for Montana’s Western District U.S. House seat, has also endorsed I-194.
Zoom Out
Montana has a long history of battles over campaign finance, dating back to its early 20th-century copper king era. The state’s voters have periodically pushed back against outside money in their elections, making I-194 a natural extension of that tradition. But the structure funding this particular effort mirrors the same opacity that the initiative’s proponents say they want to eliminate from Montana politics.
Montana’s broader electoral landscape is already active this cycle. June primary turnout set a raw ballot record, though overall participation rates continued a downward trend — a dynamic that could shape how much weight any ballot initiative coalition-building ultimately carries in November.
What’s Next
For I-194 to appear on the November ballot, organizers must gather sufficient verified signatures from Montana voters. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Political Practices is expected to continue reviewing whether Transparent Election Initiative met its registration obligations under state law. That determination could affect what additional financial disclosures, if any, the organization is required to make public before the election.
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