BY MICHAEL NOYES

HELENA – On Tuesday the state Republican Party issued a statement distancing themselves from recent ad campaigns in certain legislative races funded by a group called “Main Street Advocacy.”
     The group has run radio ads and sent out printed material in several contested primary races that highlight the qualifications of selected candidates. The organization is not registered with the Office of Political Practices, although an official with ties to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) reportedly approached the office with questions about ad content before the ad campaigns were launched.
     In their release, the Montana Republican Party said the ads were placed by an out-of-state agency and were identified as “Montana GOP” spots.
     “Although that assertion may have been innocently intended, the reality is that ads, which are labeled Republican ads and are running in Montana, appear to use the party’s name and also imply the party’s endorsement,” according to the release.
     The Montana GOP does not endorse candidates in contested primaries.
     Mary Baker, program supervisor for the state Office of Political Practices, said the office has been contacted with concerns about whether the ads might be in violation of campaign guidelines. However, she said no formal complaint has been filed and the office would not launch a formal investigation until a formal complaint is filed.
     “At first blush it appears they are (in violation)” Baker said of the ads.
     House Rep. Bob Wagner, whose opponent in the upcoming primary is highlighted in an ad sponsored by the group, said it shouldn’t take a formal complaint for the Office of Political Practices to launch an investigation if they are aware of an issue.
     “Either they broke the damn law or they didn’t,” Wagner said.
     Baker said Montana is a full disclosure state which means groups spending money to influence an election must file a statement of organization, report how much money is spent, what the money is spent on, and in some cases disclose their donors.
     Baker said Ted Dick, who is listed as the treasurer for an SEIU political action committee, brought a draft of ad copy in to her office on two separate occasions before the ads ran.
     “He asked…if I would look over a direct mail piece that a non-profit C-4 group wanted to put out,” according to notes of her meeting with Dick in April. “He said that they were trying to avoid any express advocacy.”
     Baker said she is not an attorney and does not give consent or advice on the legality of potential ads, but she encouraged him to review the content with an attorney.
     State Rep. Mike Miller contacted the office of Political Practices after a radio ad and flier with similar wording appeared in his district. The ads highlight the qualifications of Miller’s opponent, Joe Dooling.
     Baker said she recognized the flier from Dick’s earlier visits. She said Dick was called in to the office and told a complaint would likely be filed. When asked what Dick’s affiliation is with the Main Street Advocacy Fund, Baker said she was not certain.
     “I don’t know for a fact how he’s involved,” Baker said. “That wasn’t a real clear picture.”
     Dick did not return phone calls seeking comment. (UPDATE 5/26: On late Wednesday afternoon when approached outside his office by a MontanaWatchdog reporter, Dick said he had no comment. Read Phil Drake’s blog post here.)
     Dooling said he was not aware of the fliers until he received one in the mail.
     “I don’t know anything about this group, who put this together,” Dooling said. “They spent quite a bit of money…it’s a positive message.”
     Miller said the ads raise questions about Dooling’s conservative credentials.
     “If the Political Director of SEIU had designed a flier that could potentially influence voters to vote for me, I would have to seriously question my core conservative beliefs and if I belonged in the Republican Party or whether I would be better suited to sit on the other side of the aisle,” Miller said in an email.
          Dooling said he is a “conservative Republican,” and is worried about party unity.
          A “Situation Report” on the issue being circulated by conservative activists identified ten races where they claim the Main Street Advocacy Fund is spending money to highlight the qualifications of one of the candidates. The report says the ads highlight the candidate generally considered less conservative.
     No phone number is listed on the website for an organization called Main Street Advocacy, which lists the group headquarters as Washington, D.C. According to the site, the organization believes, “We must reach out to independents, disaffected Democrats, centrists, suburbanites and young voters. To do so we must offer pragmatic, common sense solutions to the complex challenges facing our country today.”
     The state Republican Party news release says state Sen. Jon Brueggeman, of Polson, is involved with the group running ads, “and anyone with questions is welcome to contact him.”
     Brueggeman did not return phone calls seeking comment.