Special interest groups top Oklahoma City election spending

The main spenders have been the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum, which has spent about $410,000, and the Better Local Government PAC, which spent about $135,000, according to campaign finance reports filed last week.

Many are questioning the process because so much money has been spent and it's hard to determine the identities of those behind the spending.

“Big money has gotten involved to the extent it has just made a mockery of our city election,” outgoing Ward 2 Councilman Sam Bowman said at a recent city council meeting. “We're not going to slow the money down. The day has arrived and it's going to come, but people need to know who's behind the money.”

Bowman later told The Oklahoman he has had calls from several constituents upset at the special interest campaigning.

“I think people are entitled to know who they are, particularly when it gets to be money of this magnitude,” he said.

Before the March 1 primary election, 13 candidates were vying for four open council seats, which pay $12,000 a year. Those candidates, along with the groups running independent campaigns in support of candidates, raised about $1.2 million and have spent more than $1 million on the Oklahoma City Council races.

It's an unprecedented amount of money and the first time such independent groups have been involved to such an extent, Bowman said.

“It's just the new larger undisclosed groups,” he said.

Oklahoma City Momentum and Better Local Government were formed to make only independent expenditures. The groups do not give money directly to candidates, which would limit donations to $5,000. There is no limit on the independent expenditures, which can be used to purchase ads advocating for or against a candidate.

The two groups are required to list all donors of $200 or more, just as individual candidates must. The groups get around listing individual donors by naming a nonprofit corporation as its only donor. Those nonprofit corporations are not required to disclose their donors.

Oklahoma City Momentum lists A Better Oklahoma City Inc. as its sole donor of $415,000. The nonprofit was formed on Feb. 11, according to paperwork on file with the secretary of state. About a week later, Oklahoma City Momentum filed with the Oklahoma City Clerk its intention to campaign in the elections.

Better Local Government names A Voice for Responsible Government as its lone donor of $145,000. According to a secretary of state filing, the nonprofit was formed Feb. 8, just two days before Better Local Government filed with the city clerk.