Party switch could cost Pollina

MONTPELIER, Vt.—Gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina's recent switch from Progressive to independent may force him to give back some of his campaign contributions.

The Vermont Secretary of State's office has told the Middlesex man that 34 of his donors gave him more than what is allowed for candidates not running as a member of a political party.

"As we were reviewing the reports filed last month, we realized that some of the contributions were in excess of the contribution limits," said Kathy DeWolfe, the director of elections for the director of elections for the Secretary of State. "As a courtesy, we have spoken with the campaign manager and explained the requirements of the state's campaign finance law."

Last month, Pollina announced that he was switching his party affiliation from Progressive to Independent. As such, he can raise less money per person than would a member of a political party running for office.

Giving back $27,000 in contributions could be a problem. His campaign finance report last month said he had less than $23,000 on hand.

"We're going to comply with the law," Pollina said Tuesday.

Under state law, candidates can accept $1,000 from an individual per election. Independents, who don't take part in a primary, are allowed to accept $1,000 for the full election cycle while major party candidates may take $1,000 for the primary and another $1,000 for the general election.

Pollina said he wasn't aware of the difference when he made the switch.

He said it shows a need to change the campaign finance laws. "In a state where there are so many independents, the law may in fact make it harder to be one," he said.

Mike McShane, assistant attorney general, said there are usually no penalties for candidates who return the money. He said he would to see if anyone files a complaint in this case.

Neither Democratic candidate Gaye Symington nor the Vermont Democratic Party is likely to lodge a complaint, officials said.

"Our focus is on Jim Douglas," said Vermont Democratic Party spokeswoman Liz Saxe, referring to the Republican incumbent.

But Saxe said Pollina has made missteps with the campaign finance laws before. When he was running as a Progressive for lieutenant governor in 2002, he was found to have violated the rules and stopped seeking public financing. Pollina sued to have part of the law be declared unconstitutional, but later dropped his lawsuit.