Denver, CO – On Sept. 19, former Denver City Councilwoman Kendra Black (District 4) filed a campaign finance complaint against Pro-Animal Future (PAF) and Pro-Animal Denver (PAD) – the organizations backing Initiated Ordinance 309 (Denver slaughterhouse ban). 

The complaint states that PAF and PAD “have devised a scheme to conceal: 1) the identity of donors supporting Initiated Ordinances 308 and 309 (the ‘Measures’), and 2) required information about expenditures PAD has made in support of the Measures.” The complaint also documents violations of the following sections of the Denver Municipal Code:

• Sec. 15-34. – Organization of committees
• Sec. 15-35. – Reporting requirements for committees
• Sec. 15-36. – Filing of reports
• Sec. 15-42. – Responsibility for communications

Councilwoman Kendra Black issued the following statement:

“The transgressions of PAF and PAD undermine the letter and the spirit of the Denver campaign finance ordinances and cast doubt on the integrity of the campaigns they support. It is important that there be a swift resolution of these complaints and that the principles of transparency and accountability in our local elections are upheld.”

Manny Gidfar, a spokesperson for the campaign opposing Initiated Ordinance 309, issued the following statement: 

“It is disappointing but not surprising that the people behind a fundamentally dishonest campaign think that the rules don’t apply to them. Voters deserve to know who is actually behind this misguided effort to single out just one employee-owned Denver business and force it to close.

Hundreds of people who work extremely hard to put food on our plates could lose their jobs because of the lies being pushed by a dark money campaign. What these workers are currently being put through is sad and wrong.”