Angus Leader - Conservative Big Spenders Set Up in SD

News Article

By David Montgomery

A major conservative political group is setting up shop in South Dakota, raising the potential for a new player in this fall's U.S. Senate race.

Americans For Prosperity, a nonprofit group lead by billionaire donors and activists Charles and David Koch, said late last week it would open a South Dakota office -- the group's 35th state chapter.

It's spent millions of dollars in advertising promoting conservative causes and also employs about 400 field operatives around the country, according to a Washington Post report.

A spokesperson for the group didn't return a message Monday asking about the new office. But two U.S. Senate candidates said they'd prefer if Americans For Prosperity -- and other outside spending groups, whatever their position -- stayed out of South Dakota.

"They could literally buy themselves a Senate seat," said Democratic candidate Rick Weiland. "We can sure make it known that we don't want them here, and we can sure put it out to the voters of South Dakota."

Weiland, in a news conference Monday afternoon, called on all four Senate candidates to ask groups such asAmericans For Prosperity to stay out of the race.

Independent Larry Pressler said he'd sign on to such a letter.

"I'd be glad to join in a statement asking them all to stay out," Pressler said. "If (Weiland) wants to draft it, I'll co-sign it."

The other two candidates, independent Gordon Howie and Republican Mike Rounds, demurred.

"I haven't asked anybody to stay out, and I probably won't, because I think it's not realistic to even issue the call," Howie said.

Jokingly, Howie took the opposite position.

"I'd like to extend an invitation to huge outside money groups to come help me," he said.

In a statement, Republican Mike Rounds' campaign manager Rob Skjonsberg said Weiland's pledge was a "moot point" because "federal election law prohibits third-party organizations from coordinating with federal candidates."

The campaign did not respond to a follow-up question asking for a yes or no answer.

Weiland said his offer was conditional. If Rounds wouldn't sign such a pledge, Weiland wouldn't reject such aid from any Democratic outside groups.

"Ronald Reagan loved world peace, wanted it, but he wasn't willing to give the Soviet Union all the nuclear weapons," Weiland said. "If (Rounds) wants to play by the current set of rules, I have no other choice."

On several occasions nationwide, campaigns have called on outside groups to stay out of the race.

The most notable incident was in Massachusetts in 2012, where Democrat Elizabeth Warren and Republican Scott Brown agreed that their campaigns would pay a penalty for any outside spending supporting their campaign -- 50 percent of the cost to a charity of the other candidate's choice.

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