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sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Mayor Tim Keller鈥檚 campaign wants a local politics blogger to reveal who passed out dozens of 鈥淚 love Tim Keller鈥� sweatshirts to homeless people along Central last week and has filed a complaint with the city鈥檚 ethics board in an attempt to force his hand.

Keller鈥檚 campaign called the sweatshirts a 鈥渃ruel political stunt鈥� and the culprit鈥檚 anonymous spending illegal, in a Friday news release.

According to the City Charter, those who spend more than $250 to influence an election must register with the clerk鈥檚 office and publicly list their donors unless the group is an advocacy nonprofit, classified as a 501(c)(4).

The Keller campaign said that the dozens of sweatshirts likely cost more than $250 and have called the tactic 鈥渄ark money鈥� spending because of the stunt鈥檚 secretive nature.

Paul Gessing, the president of the Rio Grande Foundation, a Libertarian-leaning think tank, told multiple local media outlets this week that he knew who was behind the stunt, but wouldn鈥檛 reveal their identity.

Gessing told the Journal on Monday that he knew the distributor鈥檚 identity and in a Wednesday KOAT-TV interview called the tactic 鈥渂rilliant.鈥�

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a very interesting technique to highlight an issue and put it in front of the media and average New Mexicans, sa国际传媒官网网页入口ans, specifically, who may be going to the polls and make sure they鈥檙e aware of this real problem,鈥� Gessing said of homelessness.

Gessing did not respond to requests for comment on the complaint Friday.

Neither did Darren White鈥檚 campaign, which has repeatedly denied any involvement with the sweatshirts.

Daymon Ely, the Keller campaign鈥檚 lawyer, filed the complaint Thursday with the City Clerk鈥檚 Office 鈥� just days before the Dec. 9 runoff election that pits challenger White against two-term incumbent Keller in the race for mayor.

鈥淚f this is not properly investigated, the political process and attempts to regulate the process are meaningless,鈥� Ely wrote.

But if the board does rule in Keller鈥檚 favor, it鈥檚 unclear how much latitude the group has to compel Gessing to speak up.

According to the City Charter, to punish someone not employed by the city the only two actions the Board of Ethics can take are issuing a 鈥減ublic reprimand鈥� or imposing a fine of $500 for each violation of the city鈥檚 code.

In a recent ethics ruling involving District 1 City Council Candidate Stephanie Telles and her challenger鈥檚 campaign manager, Scott Forrester, the board said it only had authority over candidates and committees.

This past precedent suggests that the board might not get involved in a complaint that goes after Gessing as a third party.

Beyond 鈥渕aking a mockery鈥� of the election code, Ely appealed to the board鈥檚 morality in the complaint鈥檚 final paragraph.

鈥淭hese people are being used as political props,鈥� Ely wrote. 鈥淚t is disgraceful. It is also unlawful.鈥�

Along Central on Monday, dozens of people appearing to be homeless were dressed in the bright yellow sweatshirts. Some were unaware of the man their shirt endorsed, while others saw through the ploy but said their options were to wear it or freeze.