Political Contributions
As an educator who belongs to a union or professional organization: Do you know how your money is spent on political action?
Some Colorado teacher organizations contribute member funds to shadowy 527 groups and to partisan candidates and organizations. Click on one of the three links below for more information on reported political campaign spending (all figures exclude money contributed to local school board and other nonpartisan candidates, or money contributed to issue committees):
2008: Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association (CEA) and its affiliates, mostly through Every Member Option funds, have reported $1,000,585 in political contributions during the 2007-08 election cycle – including:
- $452,360 to Democratic candidates and party organizations
- $263,500 to the 527 group Accountability for Colorado to support political candidates — Accountability for Colorado is also funded by liberal billionaires from the “Gang of Four”
- $210,000 to the 527 group Colorado Citizens’ Coalition to support “progressive” political candidates
- $9,250 to Republican candidates and party organizations — that’s 1 dollar to Republicans for every 49 dollars to Democrats
Note: This does not include $4,657,810 contributed to the issue committee Protect Colorado’s Future and $1,600,000 to the issue committee Coloradans for Middle Class Relief to oppose three Colorado state ballot initiatives.
2008: American Federation of Teachers Colorado
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Colorado has reported $60,275 in political contributions during the current election cycle – including $40,275 to Democratic candidates and party organizations and $0 to Republicans.
2006: Colorado Education Association
For the 2006 election cycle, the Colorado Education Association (CEA) and its affiliates, mostly through Every Member Option funds, reported contributing by far the most money to political campaigns – $1,676,234 – including:
- $279,859 to Democratic candidates and party organizations (including $43,000 to Bill Ritter’s gubernatorial campaign)
- $256,000 to the 527 group Main Street Colorado – exposed by the Rocky Mountain News for creating “the most recklessly irresponsible and false ad of the year” and again for sending out a “sleazy falsehood” in a campaign mailer
- $225,000 to the 527 group RISE
- $200,000 to the 527 group Citizens for Progress – criticized by a Denver Post columnist for its “deceptive” advertising
- $172,334 to the liberal 527 group Citizens for Colorado
- $74,300 to the 527 group Clear Peak Colorado – “an independent political group working for Democratic causes” that created a “shameless” television ad pulled by one cable company because it contained a “lie”
- $25,050 to Republican candidates and party organizations
2006: American Federation of Teachers Colorado
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Colorado also reported $63,850 in 2006 political contributions, including:
- $24,000 to Democratic candidates and party organizations (including $10,000 to Bill Ritter’s campaign)
- $10,000 to the liberal 527 group Citizens for Colorado
Zero Dollars For Political Action
The following organizations do NOT have committees to fund political action:
- Professional Association of Colorado Educators (PACE) ($0)
- Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) ($0)
- Teachers Legal Coverage (TLC) ($0)
Note: Information collected and verified from Colorado Secretary of State and Internal Revenue Service reports.