A self-styled sentinel over government ethics whose chief operative frequents the State Capitol and is often quoted by the news media refused today to disclose the group’s donors or discuss their political leanings.

Local lawyer and activist Chantell Taylor acknowledged that her Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government raises funds in conjunction with its parent organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

However, Taylor would not confirm or deny that Colorado millionaire Democrat activist Tim Gill or other leading, monied liberal donors play a role in funding either group. Naomi Seligman Steiner, communications director for the Washington-based parent group, also would not disclose her funders. When asked why, Seligman Steiner said, “We just don’t.”

According to an investigative report by the Washington Post last year, Seligman Steiner’s organization is funded at least in part by a movement called Democracy Alliance, whose donors include leftwing billionaire George Soros as well as Gill. Both groups are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits and do not have to publicly identify their funders.

The groups insist they are nonpartisan and don’t take sides based on ideology. However, they have been critical of almost exclusively Republican political figures and organizations and routinely call their ethics into question. The local group run by Taylor – who is a former anti-free trade field organizer with the group Public Citizen and former Denver Democrat precinct co-captain – has filed actions against Republican and conservative groups and most recently has criticized www.ColoradoSenateNews.com, the official communications arm of the Senate Minority Office.

Senate GOP leader Andy McElhany of Colorado Springs called both groups “nonpartisan in name only.”

“It’s too bad they keep turning up in media reports as supposedly objective watchdogs over ethics when both are obviously political fronts for the left,” McElhany said. “I guess all is fair in love, war and politics.”

According to a page on the Colorado group’s Website, the local spinoff is, “based on CREW's model,” and, “will file complaints with the Secretary of State against those who violate campaign finance law and file requests for documents from state agencies and the General Assembly under Colorado's public records law.”  The site says the group, “will then work with the media to educate Colorado's citizens about CCEG's efforts.”