From The Denver Post:  The public’s interest is best served with transparent elections that include full and timely disclosures of campaign contributions — so says Colorado law.

Apparently, proponents who successfully pushed to recall three Jefferson County school board members thought differently.

Jefferson United was formed in May as a “social welfare organization” — a nonprofit that doesn’t have to register as an issue committee or disclose its donors. But it is clear Jefferson United’s sole purpose was to support the recall and thus it should have had to reveal its contributors.

Thankfully, that is what an administrative law judge ruled last week, ordering Jefferson United to pay a $1,000 fine, register with the secretary of state and disclose its donors. And Judge Robert Spencer’s ruling has implications that go well beyond the Jeffco recall.

The judge ruled on a complaint filed by Colorado Government Watch, which argued that the nonprofit Support Jeffco Kids also was an issue committee supporting the recall. But the judge had a different take on Support Jeffco Kids, noting it was formed two years before the recall and was actively involved in other efforts, too. It fits the definition of being a nonprofit and so doesn’t have to disclose its donors.

But Jefferson United tried to sail above the law and cloak its contributors. By creating two issue committees under its umbrella that did have to file reports, the nonprofit could funnel contributions without names attached.

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