Outside groups spend big on school campaigns

Jeffco United for Action, an independent group that organized the recall vote of board majority members Ken Witt, Julie Williams and John Newkirk, has raised $ 255,880 in donations, according to the Colorado Secretary of State.

It is using that money to purchase newspaper ads, and create and circulate flyers and banners promoting the recall effort.

On the other side, Americans for Prosperity, which has launched a two-week ad series promoting the board majority reforms, has stepped out vocally and financially in support of Witt, Williams and Newkirk. When asked for the price tag for the ad campaign, Michael Fields, Colorado state director for the organization would only say “a low, six-figure number.”

“The policy debate is really elevated and it’s a time to really take advantage of the fact that people are paying attention now,” Fields said. “This is one area where Americans for Prosperity is engaging on the grassroots level. These issues are important and our people want to talk to their neighbors about it.”

The nonprofit Colorado Independent Action, which is linked to the Independence Institute and paid for television ads featuring Julie Williams that ran in August, and Americans fro Prosperity are not required by law to list their finances, as the ad wasn’t directly promoting the election.

Recall-organizer Tina Gurdikian, however, described the amount of donations Jeffco United for Action has received as outstanding and reflects community support for the recall.

“From the people who have sent notes with their donations saying that they are sorry to have voted for the board majority and doing what they can to correct their error, to students giving us the change in their pockets, we have seen this community unite behind moving our schools forward like never before,” Gurdikian said in an Oct. 20 press release.