Gov. Gary Johnson's documents reveal puzzling trail

Updated: 6pm

Just days before former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is expected to formally announce his bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, we’ve found a complex web of non-profit registrations, and only one quarterly financial report, for his 16-month-old Our America Initiative.

Johnson, who chairs the political advocacy group announced he was forming it in December 2009, but it was not registered as a Non-Profit Corporation in California until March the next year. The only financial disclosure we could find for the IRS exempt 501(c)(4) is this 4th Quarter (2010) filing in Utah.

Attorney Maureen Otis, from Stafford, Texas filed the financial report with the Utah Department of Commerce's Consumer Protection Division as required this February for the group's Treasurer Chet Goodwin, who lists his office in Salt Lake City. No financial reports were located at the California Secretary of State's office for the entire period.

The PAC reported raising a little more than $205,000 in three months from October 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. At the end of the quarter less than $2,500 cash was on hand. That’s the amount left after deducting $170,000 in overhead expenses. The report indicated $37,000 was spent on fundraising commissions and $606 for other expenses.

Our America Initiative donors do not have to be revealed and were not.

The PAC. is being managed by Ronald Nielson's NSON Opinion Strategy, a research and management group for political entities. NSON is also based in Salt Lake City. Nielsen was sued by the IRS two months ago for tax liabilities un-related to the Our America Initiative.

Two of Our America's officers, who are listed on IRS Form 1024 (embedded below) are from Albuquerque, including President Kelly Ward and Secretary Harold Field. The officers are not compensated for their roles on Johnson's board, expect the group does pay Goodwin for his accounting work.

It remains unclear if donations, which were reported in the single financial report included all donations received for the preceding 12 months. We wanted to know if the total was lumped into one quarter or if the PAC. did not start receiving donations until October 2010.

When we contacted Gov. Johnson, he directed us to Nielson saying, “check with Ron. He’s a real honest guy,” but Nielson declined to return phone calls or respond to emails. Multiple calls and emails to Goodwin and Otis were not answered.

The group will have to file another quarterly report in Utah later this month, and once Johnson launches his presidential campaign on Monday in New Hampshire he will be required to file financial reports with the Federal Election Commission.

We checked the FEC site this morning, and the Friends of Gary Johnson, a non-party/non qualified group registered in Ruckersville, Virginia reported $0 in donations.

You can read the group’s by-laws in the Unified Registration Statement, which is embedded here.

Unified Registration Statement filed in Utah
Our America Initiative

IRS 1024 form found online at the California Attorney General's Office
Our America Initiative 1024 Application

Johnson plans economic plan rollout

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who’s sounding more and more like a potential presidential candidate, plans to announce his “Three Point-Plan for Economic Prosperity” Tuesday at a press event in Washington.

Ahead of the trip, Johnson has been meeting with economists from around the country to discuss his plan.

“We believe we have adopted a plan to bring America’s economy into long-term prosperity,” Johnson said in a news release. “This would include cutting expenditures, cutting taxes and shrinking the federal involvement in the economy.”

Johnson is the honorary chairman of his Our America Initiative, a national issue-based advocacy committee.

“As I look at the public debate, I don’t see ideas being presented that are going to solve the current problems and provide for long term prosperity,” Johnson said. “What we need is a new direction.”

“Based on discussions with the people we have been meeting, as well as my own governing experience and significant research with economic experts, we have developed an initial outline of commonsense approaches to begin to renew our economy,” Johnson said. “I look forward to presenting this outline to the public, and to continuing the public dialogue regarding lower taxes and reducing our deficits.”

Video: Johnson says GOP win not a mandate

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who has been fueling speculation about a possible run for President in 2012, with the launch of his Our America Initiative, wrapped up his first trip of the year to New Hampshire on Saturday with a keynote address at the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire forum.



While in the Granite state, Johnson talked with the New Hampshire Watchdog.org about taxes and spending and warned GOP officials not get "to get cocky over the election of Scott Brown" to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, arguing that voter frustration extends to both parties.




Johnson, who has drawn attention for his stand on ending the "War on Drugs, continues to criticize government officials for "outrageous" spending.

Johnson told the NH Watchdog.org he's trying to bring Tea Party and Libertarian activists back into the Republican fold.

In fact, he said he believes "working within the two-party system is a faster and more productive way to shrink the federal government."

Gary Johnson traveling to New Hampshire.

Former N.M. Gov. Gary Johnson is heading to New Hampshire — the nation’s first presidential primary state — next month.

Johnson, the honorary chairman of his political action committee Our America Initiative, will be the keynote speaker at the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire On Jan. 23 at the Grappone Center in Concord, N.H.

While Johnson, a libertarian-leaning Republican, has not declared his candidacy for president — or really even said he’s seriously considering running — he has been mentioned as a possible candidate in 2012 and has been a favorite of many of the same people who supported Ron Paul in 2008.

Last week, Politico reported that Johnson is “doing little to knock down the idea that he may be looking toward a 2012 presidential run.” Heading to New Hampshire two years before the nation’s first primary could add fuel to speculation that he’s preparing a national campaign.

Johnson, a two-term governor who preceded Gov. Bill Richardson, endorsed Ron Paul for president last year and spoke at Paul’s Rally for the Republic in Minnesota in 2008.

A grassroots group has been running JohnsonForAmerica.com and another group has set up a Gary Johnson For President in 2012 group on Facebook. Earlier this year, the American Conservative reported that Johnson said he was keeping his options open in regards to a 2012 presidential run.

Johnson has been quite active lately. He recently talked with NMPolitics.net’s about the budget crisis in Santa Fe, and in this audio and video Johnson speaks about his continued push for decriminalizing and legalizing drugs in the United States.