Budget Conference Report Still Threatens Campaign Funds 4/09

The Senate and House budget committees have spent considerable time this session looking for any pots of money in state accounts that can be raided for balancing the budget.  One only has to look at the amended Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (House Bill 101) to see the long list of fund balances that have been pilfered and used for purposes other than originally intended.

However, lawmakers might be violating state law by raiding the Fair Campaign Financing Fund for purposes other than direct candidate support.  The Attorney General has advised that this fund is an express trust containing contributions by Maryland's citizens who support public funding of gubernatorial election campaigns.  Irregardless, the fact that it has more than $5 million in a fund balance is too tempting to legislators.

The final conference committee report contains "Amendment 15" which would use $2 million from the Fair Campaign Financing Fund for the purchase of new voting machines. (see full report here)

With this pass muster with the state courts?  Michael J. Pappas, who has filed an exploratory committee and expressed his intention to access public financing for the 2010 election (see letter below), may have to file suit over the budget to learn the answer to that question.