Political candidates in Denver are pocketing thousands of dollars for their campaigns but failing to report their donors' employers and occupations, a violation of the city's campaign finance laws.

Worse yet, nobody seems to be paying attention to the problem.

The Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office hasn't been auditing campaign finance statements for "a few years" because of a staffing shortage, a supervisor said.

"I don't think anyone would expect that they would have to go line by line on every campaign," said Jenny Flanagan, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, a watchdog group. "But as (the reports) come in, we really shouldn't turn a blind eye to some of the basic requirements of complying with our campaign finance rules."

Politicians are supposed to disclose certain donor information to shed light on who — and what interests — are financing politicians' campaigns.

"Occupation and employer information enables more precise identification of donors and, importantly, the economic interests they represent," according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Denver's campaign finance laws require candidates to report the occupation and employer of donors who give more than $200.

Compliance varies by candidate:

• Auditor Dennis Gallagher is reporting primarily only his donors' employer information.

For example, in his 2005 year-end report, which contains no category for occupation, Gallagher reported that Mike Dino of Patton Boggs gave him $250. The average voter may not know that Dino is a lobbyist and consultant for the high-powered law firm that represents such clients as CH2M Hill.

• Julie Connor, who is running for City Council District 7, met the reporting requirement on all her donors in the latest batch of campaign statements, which cover contributions made in February.

"Maybe I have a really good treasurer," she said.

• Mayor John Hickenlooper, who collected significantly more money than Connor in the same reporting period, didn't list the occupations and employers of 21 donors who gave $26,800 total.

Among them were Gene and Gail Mulvihill, of New Jersey, who gave Hickenlooper $3,000 each. Andrew Mulvihill, also of New Jersey, contributed $1,000. All three provided different addresses. It's unclear whether New Jersey developer Gene Mulvihill and his son, Andrew, are the same people who contributed money to the mayor.

The mayor's campaign wrote "info requested" under the employer and occupation category.

Lynea Hansen, Hickenlooper's campaign manager, said she sends notices to donors requesting the information if it's missing.

"Once we make our best effort in obtaining that information, that's all that's legally required of us," she said.

Denver's campaign finance laws state that a political committee's treasurer can make the request in writing or verbally. But it's hard to know whether they've even tried.

"In all the campaigns that I've acted as treasurer," Hansen said Friday, "I've never received an audit request from the (Denver) clerk and recorder's office."

Stephanie O'Malley, the city's interim clerk and recorder, said she didn't know that candidates were failing to report the required information until contacted by the Rocky Mountain News.

"It is my observation that all matters having to deal with campaign finance and disclosures clearly need someone to pay attention to those matters on a daily basis, on a consistent basis, and that will be my goal because it's important," she said.

O'Malley said she needs to figure out how to shift around her staff so someone can regularly audit campaign finance reports.

Reporting requirements

Candidates running for office in Denver must file campaign disclosure statements by law. Some basic requirements:

• Donor name and address

• Occupation and employer of donors who contribute more than $200

• Loans or lines of credit details

• Name and address of persons paid "an aggregate amount or value" of more than $50

Source: Denver Municipal Code

chacond@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5099

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