HELENA – A complaint accusing House District 92 candidate Mike Hopkins of campaign ethics and finance reporting violations has been dismissed by Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices Jeffrey Mangan.
The complaint filed by Lee Bridges’ Campaign Manager Bridget Johnson stems from an ad placed by Mike Davis of Turah Mont. in the Pathfinder Nov. 1 attacking Bridges. Hopkins was accused of conspiring with Davis to place the ad, failing to provide Bridges’ campaign with the content of the ad as required by the Clean Campaign Act and failing to report the in-kind contribution to his campaign.
Evidence presented with the complaint shows that Davis, using the screen name Ekim Sivad, communicated to Hopkins on Facebook Oct. 22 that he had dirt on Bridges. Hopkins replied to Davis that he sent him a message.
On another post on Hopkins campaign timeline dated Oct. 29, Davis commented that he placed a paid advertisement in the Pathfinder. In the comment Davis referenced an earlier email he sent to Hopkins.
The complaint alleges that these comments on Facebook and the private emails and messages referenced in them show that Hopkins was collaborating with Davis to place the ad.
In Mangan’s dismissal dated Dec. 17 he wrote that citizens occasionally pay for a communication or ad independent of the candidate and routinely contact candidates to share views and offer support.
“Mr. Davis’s comment on social media that he ‘would go to bat for [Hopkins]’ then notify [Hopkins] that he did in the form of a paid advertisement does not rise to the level of coordination,” wrote Mangan.
After dismissing the allegation that Hopkins had coordinated with Davis to place the ad, Mangan also dismissed the allegations of violating finance reporting and the Clean Campaign Act. Both of these allegations were dismissed for the same reason, lack of coordination between Hopkins and Davis.
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