A Denver legislator wants to make it easier to haul possible campaign-finance-law violators into state court, an idea spurred by the case of anti-tax crusader Douglas Bruce, who for months successfully evaded attempts to force him to testify about the funding behind three initiatives.

“It’s really more of the process of how to deal with problems with subpoenas in administrative law courts,” said Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, a former chief deputy district attorney. “It’s from the charade that went on last year with Doug Bruce avoiding service and making it very difficult for the case that was brought to determine who was financing those three initiatives.”

Opponents of Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101 wanted to know who had financed efforts to collect the signatures to put the voter-trounced measures on the ballot.

Opponents suspected Bruce’s involvement and tried to force him to testify about the funding, starting the case before Administrative Law Judge Robert Spencer. The judge eventually ruled that evidence showed Bruce was involved in the initiatives despite his public statements distancing himself from them.

She said her bill might attempt to have cases like Bruce’s move to district court sooner without draining the time of administrative law courts or the attorney general’s office.

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