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Montana’s chief political regulator has sued a prominent anti-abortion group and its president over campaign finance law violations first alleged in 2012, marking the first salvo in a host of complaints expected over the next few weeks.

Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl last week filed the nine-page complaint against Montana Pro-life Coalition, a Kalispell-based political advocacy group, and Dr. Annie Bukacek, the organization’s president.

Both parties are accused of failing to register as a political committee and failing to report, disclose and attribute coalition-backed contributions and election expenses made on behalf of Rollan Roberts, who tried and failed to unseat state Sen. Bruce Tutvedt in a Republican primary race four years ago.

Bukacek told the Independent Record on Monday she has never coordinated with Roberts or anyone else in an effort to help him win, aside from people inviting her to hold up signs for him along the highway.

"The Republicans who filed complaints Mr. Motl is pursuing are Republicans who vote like Democrats," she said in an email. "My experience with Mr. Motl lends credence to those who have said Mr. Motl is a party hack on a witchhunt."