The state super PAC supporting Attorney General Phil Weiser’s campaign for governor received $50,000 earlier this month from a Denver nonprofit that doesn’t disclose its donors.
The Colorado Democracy Defense Fund, which as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit is what The Colorado Sun refers to as a dark money group, gave $50,000 to the super PAC supporting Weiser, Fighting for Colorado, on June 16. The donation was disclosed Monday night in a campaign finance filing.
The nonprofit was created in October and is registered to a UPS store in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood. Its registered agent is Ashley Stevens, a prolific Democratic campaign finance compliance expert in Colorado.
Weiser is prohibited from coordinating with the super PAC and he cannot raise money for the group. And the $50,000 infusion from the Colorado Democracy Defense Fund appears to be the only dark money Fighting for Colorado has received.
But the donation comes against the backdrop of Weiser’s repeated criticism of his primary opponent, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, for being backed by dark money.
“Phil Weiser is powered by historic grassroots support from Coloradans, and Michael Bennet is powered by a super PAC bankrolled by out-of-state billionaires, big corporations and dark money,” Weiser’s campaign spokesperson, Nate Jackson, said in a statement just last week.
Curtis Hubbard, a spokesman for Fighting for Colorado, said in a statement that the group doesn’t comment on its donors.
“But there is no question as to which candidate in this race is the darling of billionaires and undisclosed money — and his name rhymes with Senate,” Hubbard said.
The super PAC supporting Bennet, Rocky Mountain Way, has received $1.25 million alone from Brighter Future for Colorado, a 501(c)(4). The nonprofit was created in February 2024 and is registered to the same UPS store as the Colorado Democracy Defense Fund. Its registered agent is the Democratic law firm Tierney Lawrence Stiles in Denver.
Rocky Mountain Way has received donations from other nonprofits that don’t disclose their donors, including Stand For Children, the Campaign for Great Public Schools, the Colorado League of Charter Schools Action and EDF Action Votes.
Fighting for Colorado has been far outraised by Rocky Mountain Way during the primary.
The PAC backing Bennet had spent nearly $11 million through June 24, including more than $5.1 million from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. That money went toward attacking Weiser in TV and digital ads, as well as in mailers.
Fighting for Colorado had spent only about $1.4 million through June 24.
Voting in the primary ends at 7 p.m. Tuesday.