Late Money, Hidden Donors, Hickenlooper Win | Denver News

Just before Colorado’s June 30 primary, Senator John Hickenlooper got a surprise late boost from two super PACs that dumped nearly half a million dollars into his campaign — money we didn’t know came from major donors like DaVita’s Kent Thiry, billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, and Denver investor Jim Kelley, until after Hickenlooper had already won. With a razor-thin 5.6-point victory over Julie Gonzales, the timing and secrecy of these funds raise serious questions about their influence. Complicating things further, a mysterious nonprofit called ModSquad Action — which doesn’t disclose its donors — funneled $100K to one PAC and $200K to another, both of which ran ads for Hickenlooper. Tied to a group backing moderate, cross-aisle Democrats, ModSquad Action’s sudden appearance and disappearance just weeks before the vote adds another layer to the shadowy funding web behind Hickenlooper’s win — as he now turns his focus to the general election against Mark Baisley. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/768eedc73d304521