AI Review Flags Hundreds of Reporting Gaps for Griswold and Weiser Campaigns

By: Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette

Using artificial intelligence as analytical tool, a resident of Longmont has filed complaints against two prominent Colorado Democrats, alleging multiple campaign finance violations.

The complaints are among a growing number of campaign finance allegations against individuals running for some of Colorado’s top jobs.

What’s unique with the complaints is the use of AI as a data or analytical tool.

On Nov. 20, Jeffrey Ethan Au Green of Longmont filed a complaint against Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor against U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who is running to succeed Weiser, was the subject of a Nov. 2 complaint, also filed by Au Green. Four Democrats are running in next year’s election to take over from Weiser, who is term-limited. They include Griswold, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, nonprofit director and workers rights advocate David Seligman and former federal prosecutor Hetal Doshi. Republican Connor Pennington, a first-time candidate, has also filed to run for the office.

The Griswold complaint was transferred to the Colorado Department of Law – which Weiser leads – for handling, since campaign finance complaints are reviewed by the Colorado Secretary of State’s elections division.

That complaint deals with campaign finance reports between April 1 and Sept. 30, in which the Griswold campaign allegedly failed to disclose the donors, their occupations or employers for 492 contributions totaling $61,371. 

The Weiser complaint claims there were 1,988 disclosure violations during the same period, and his campaign similarly failed to disclose funders, occupations or employers. Au Green told Colorado Politics the contributions total more than $200,000.

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