There was a Durango Herald opinion piece that needs to be shared in this collection since it touches on SaveLaPlataCounty.com's pretense of being independent of American For Prosperity and the Koch network of stealth organizations masquerading as local groups. I thank Ken for his permission to repost his Durango Herald column.
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Francis: Big oil and gas behind county commissioner attacks
Ken Francis | Nov. 17, 2017 | Durango Herald | https://durangoherald.com/articles/195280
I read with interest Matt Dempsey’s column (Herald, Oct. 28) attacking La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt and misconstruing as an apology her well-reasoned explanation of her nonprofit work (Herald, Oct. 14).
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Note: Matt Dempsey is another example of the convoluted connections between SaveLaPlataCounty.com and the Koch machine - check out his bio at the end of this article.
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Dempsey, the opinion editor of Western Energy Alliance’s “Western Wire,” condemns Lachelt’s dual role as public official and executive director of the nonprofit Western Leaders Network.
Masquerading as the ethics police, Dempsey demands the network disclose the source of its funding. As a nonprofit organization, the organization is legally required by the IRS to annually and publicly disclose its funding.
Yet Dempsey’s moral code does not seem to apply to Western Energy Alliance. For example, the Alliance invited a rather unique Washington political consultant, Richard Berman, to speak at its 2014 annual meeting. Berman’s signature move is to launch smear campaigns against his clients’ opponents – such as environmentalists – through nonprofit front groups that are insulated from having to disclose donors.
