Dallas Heltzell at the Greeley Tribune reports that two residents, former city manager Leonard Wiest and former reporter Tom Hacker, filed a campaign-finance complaint alleging the nonprofit We Are Greeley is actually an issue committee that should disclose donors and expenditures. The complaint targets activity surrounding petitions to overturn city actions backing the $1.1 billion Cascadia mixed-use project and its Catalyst entertainment district. It was published November 8, 2025.
The filing says We Are Greeley funneled money into petition efforts without registering as an issue committee under Colorado’s Fair Campaign Practices Act. The group’s attorney disputes that characterization, pointing to 501(c)(4) donor privacy rules and saying no donations were earmarked for specific purposes.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Who filed. Wiest and Hacker lodged a 10-page complaint with 24 pages of exhibits, arguing We Are Greeley meets the issue committee test.
- Money trail. The complaint cites two $17,400 payments for signature work in July and a $3,000 direct contribution in September.
- More spending. Another $60,000 allegedly went to a new signature drive tied to a referendum petition.
- The big number. Totals hit at least $97,800 backing measures to challenge the city’s Catalyst Project.
- The hook in law. Complainants say missing registration triggers a $50-per-day penalty until filing. The attorney says 501(c)(4)s need not name donors.
My Bottom Line
If your nonprofit is bankrolling ballot fights, expect people to ask who is writing the checks. That is not persecution. That is public accountability. The complaint lays out a simple contention. If We Are Greeley’s major purpose is backing these measures, then register as an issue committee and disclose. If not, prove it with something stronger than a shrug.
The attorney’s response is fair to note. 501(c)(4)s do enjoy donor privacy under federal rules, and earmarks matter. But municipal campaign law still exists, and cities live or die on trust. My ask is not partisan. It is basic civic hygiene. If you are moving almost six figures to influence local ballots, the community deserves receipts or a clear legal rationale for why receipts are not required. Integrity matters. Here, now, in Greeley.
Source: Greeley Tribune
