The commissioner of political practices says a conservative nonprofit group broke state campaign laws in 2012.

Commissioner Jonathan Motl said Friday if prosecutors choose not to pursue charges against the Montana Growth Network, he will likely negotiate a settlement with the organization.

Motl says the group run by former state Sen. Jason Priest was a significant player in the 2012 elections, raising $878,000 from 13 donors.

One of the races Montana Growth Network was involved in was the Supreme Court election between Laurie McKinnon, Ed Sheehy and Elizabeth Best.

The group says its ads were issue-focused and didn't need to be reported. Motl says they were advocacy ads that required disclosure.

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