Messenger: Better Colorado Now

Candidate: Jared Polis

Contest: Governor

Affiliation: D

Date delivered: Sept. 15, 2018

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Message type: mailer

Message tone: negative

About the message:

This mailer from super PAC Better Colorado Now repeats claims from TV ads by the Republican Governors Association accusing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis of "dodging" taxes, and using accounts in the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes. CBS4's Reality Check concluded the RGA is accurate in saying Polis didn't pay taxes for five years before he entered Congress – because his expenses outweighed profits. Polis was briefly involved in a partnership that had a Cayman Island account, but all his money was in the U.S., and the partmership eventually dissolved.

This mailer also says Polis plans to raise taxes, which a governor cannot do on his own in Colorado without approval from voters. Polis has introduced a bill in Congress to repeal the Trump tax cuts, but that measure is unlikely to go anywhere.

About the messenger:

Better Colorado Now is an independent expenditure group supporting the Republican Treasurer Walker Stapleton's run for governor. The group may raise and spend unlimited amounts, but is not supposed to coordinate with Stapleton.

Stapleton helped raise money for the group before entering the governor’s race last fall.

The messenger's money:

Nonpfrofit Colorado Taxpayers Advocate Fund gave the group $600,000. Other donors to the group include Greg Engles of Whitewave Foods and Extraction Oil and Gas at $50,000 each; Broncos general manager John Elway at $10,000, St. Louis Cardinals Chairman William Dewitt Jr., Geoffrey Lord of Lord Realty, Liberty Global President/CEO Michael Fries and Liberty Media CEO Gregory Maffei at $25,000 each. Also, $15,000 from real estate mogul Larry Mizel, Elizabeth Anschutz for $10,000 and Stapleton cousin Jeb Bush for $1,000.