U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman is taking heat from his expected 2016 rival over his signed agreement on a Republican Party contract that requires political and legislative strategy disclosures in exchange for campaign cash.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Coffman was one of two dozen House Republicans who recently signed a National Republican Congressional Committee contract that allows potentially vulnerable House members to access financial support for their re-election bids.

The contract is tied to the NRCC’s Patriot Program, which requires recipients to meet certain benchmarks in order to receive financial backing.

The contract requires GOP House members to provide “detailed, written legislative strategy that provides short-, immediate-, and long-term legislative goals, including political justifications for those goals,” the agreement reads.

Democratic state Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, who is seeking to replace Coffman as the 6th Congressional District representative next year, blasted Coffman for signing the contract.

Carroll sees the contract as a way for party insiders to dictate campaign and policy decisions of candidates who are lured by campaign cash and who are beholden to the NRCC because of it.

“What is disturbing to me about this is basically it’s getting people to give up their legislative responsibility and their autonomy over their own vote in exchange for cash,” she said.

The contract spells out 13 requirements. For example, House members are “to exclusively use the services of staff and vendors who meet the NRCC’s standards for quality and confidence,” the agreement reads. Staff and vendors include those who provide polling, fundraising and research services.

Members are required to create “aggressive” online fundraising goals. If the goals are not met, members are “subject to the direct involvement from the NRCC online fundraising team.”

During off-election years, House members must keep the NRCC updated on donor information, event schedules and demographic targets. They must also take part in training sessions to deal with the media.

Members also must attend all Patriot Day summits and make good efforts to attend NRCC Campaign Continuing Education programs.

“I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that,” Carroll said of the contract. “To be honest, I’m a bit shocked by it.”

But Coffman campaign spokeswoman Cinamon Watson dismissed any claims by Carroll that Coffman is receiving marching orders from his party.

“If Mike hadn’t crossed his (House Republican) leadership on major issues like the Export-Import Bank and the Military DREAM Act in just the last several months, if he hadn’t very forcefully criticized the House speaker himself for not moving with enough urgency to move legislation that would keep the Aurora VA hospital construction moving forward, someone might treat this latest round of ridiculousness seriously.

“Mike is a Marine and a patriot — period.”

NRCC spokesman Zach Hunter said the benchmarks set in the contract are in place to help participants become stronger candidates.

“Being in Congress is a big job,” he said. “This is a program intended to help our guys run well-rounded campaigns. There’s going to be multiple factors involved in that.”

Hunter said the party’s request that participants share their legislative agenda “is for informational purposes only.” It’s an effort for the party to understand what the candidates “feel their priorities are for their district.”

Hunter was unable to answer what the required “political justification” of a member’s legislative goals means.

“I don’t have a comment specifically on explaining that term,” he said.

Hunter said the DCCC also sets benchmarks through its Frontline program. He also pointed to the Democrats’ Red-to-Blue program that helps candidates get elected to Congress.

“I think Morgan Carroll is politicizing this issue to try to get some earned media out of it,” he said. “But, at the same time, she’s absolutely willing to work with the DCCC and it’s hypocritical of her to do that when she’s shown no signs of turning down help from the DCCC.”

But DCCC national press secretary Meredith Kelly said financial support programs for Democratic candidates do not require what is spelled out in the Patriot Program contract.

“The DCCC works with incumbents to make sure they are running smart campaigns as effectively as possible, but would never require submission and approval of a legislative agenda — especially not in exchange for financial and political support,” Kelly said in an emailed statement.

Carroll vowed she would never sign a contract that requires “prior input or prior approval.”

“When something like this comes to life, this confirms in many people’s minds that this is what is wrong with Congress and this is what is wrong with D.C.,” she said.

— Twitter: @VicVela1