Campaign Violation Backlog Cleared, But Enforcement Pending

It took 18 years for state regulators to clear the backlog of complaints alleging campaign violations against candidates and organizations. That was just the first step.

Now the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices' office must settle or sue to enforce the dozens of complaints in which wrongdoing was found.

It could take years to get through them all.

An Associated Press analysis found 25 cases dating back to 2013 that must be resolved by settlement or litigation.

Twenty-three other cases are already in court, after being consolidated into nine lawsuits. All of those cases are related to Commissioner Jonathan Motl's findings that conservative nonprofit corporate organizations illegally contributed unreported donations to Republican candidates in 2010 and 2012.

The first trial is scheduled for later this month, unless the state Supreme Court delays it.