Meier-Horn Campaign Complaints Continue

With campaign season coming close to an end, a flurry of ads are being placed by candidates and their supporters. Some ads brought about a complaint filed Oct. 15 against the Valley County Sheriff Deputies by Donna Dascher and Joe Horn.

The complaint decision has not yet been posted by the Commissioner of Political Practices, but the complaint can be viewed online for those curious about the political practices. The decision was expected some time this week.

Dascher's complaint states that the deputies cannot support or oppose a candidate. The deputies have placed ads in The Glasgow Courier, on KLTZ radio and with the BS Buzz here in Glasgow. Commissioner Jonathan Motl explained that the ads placed are legal, as long as the group advertising has registered to campaign for the sheriff through Political Practices, which was Horn's complaint.

Motl said that the deputies did in fact register as a group through Political Practices.

Horn stated that the group also placed ads in the 2010 election, but they were not reported in the previous election.

In 2010, a complaint was filed against Joe Horn from Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier alleging that Horn failed to file finance campaign reports related to his candidacy. The complaint wasn't filed until Dec. 15, 2010. The law requires candidates to file a campaign finance report 12 days before and 20 days after an election.

The finding reported that the pre-finance and post-finance report was due May 27, 2010, but it wasn't filed with the clerk and recorder until Jan. 13, 2011, and with the political practices commission the following day. The findings also revealed that four individuals contributed over the $160 contribution limit. Horn explained that he wasn't aware of the limits last election season and this election season was very aware of policy and procedures involving an election.