A complaint filed with the Colorado deputy secretary of state against Attorney General Phil Weiser, alleging that he violated campaign finance laws at a fundraising event in Hawaii, has been dismissed.

An order of dismissal was filed Tuesday, following an investigation by the Enforcement Team with the Elections Division of the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Investigators found that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support the complaint’s allegations.

“Having reviewed and considered the Motion and the contents of the file in this matter, the Designee now grants the Motion and dismisses the matter,” the dismissal order, signed by Secretary of State Chief of Staff and Strategy Michael Whitehorn, the designee, said.

Defend Colorado, a dark-money political group that funds conservative causes, filed the complaint, alleging Weiser, a Democrat, committed the state violations while on a trip to the Attorney Generals Alliance’s annual meeting at the Grand Wailea Resort in Hawaii on June 14-18, 2021.

The complaint alleged that at a June 15 fundraiser event:

• Weiser failed to report a campaign contribution
• Failed to report, or accurately report, a campaign expenditure
• Accepted a prohibited contribution
• Violated reporting and acceptance of gifts by an incumbent.

“In this case, Respondents (Weiser and his campaign — Phil Weiser for Colorado), hosted a fundraising event at the Resort and reported a $437.50 expenditure for the food and beverage consumed at the Event. Respondents provided ample evidence to verify the actual amount charged by the Resort for the Event,” the dismissal order said. “There is no evidence that Respondents incurred expenses in hosting the Event that were not reported on the campaign’s expenditure report.”

The Banquet Event Order form for the event quoted an estimated cost of $963.54, according to the dismissal order, and confirmed that there would be no “Food and Beverage Minimum” or “Meeting Room Rental.”

The event, scheduled for 45 minutes, was attended by about 30 people and included bar service for beer, bottled water, and individual pretzel snack bags, the dismissal order said. “The Resort charged Respondents $437.50 for the food and beverage consumed at the Event.”

The complaint also alleged that the Weiser campaign was provided the Grand Dining Room at the resort at a reduced rate or no cost.

“The investigation revealed that Respondents hosted the event in a portion of the Resort’s Grand Dining Room, in a bar area between the Resort lobby and an outside balcony area, which remained open to the public,” the dismissal order said. There is “no evidence that Respondents rented or used the Grand Dining Room in the manner alleged in the Complaint.”

The use of the resort space for the Weiser event was also deemed acceptable because “the Resort allows free use of its space, including the area where the Event was held, to other entities in attendance at the Resort in the usual course of its business.”

The use of the space for the event was not a campaign contribution, according to the dismissal order.

The dismissal of the complaint by the Colorado deputy secretary of state has no impact on the complainant’s ability to file with the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission, according to the dismissal order.