Washington, D.C., lobbyist Abramoff, now under indictment, may be key to federal investigations of Congressional corruption.

It is against Utah law for legislators to personally raise funds for their own campaigns during the 45-day general session. But PACs may raise funds all year long. Hughes said the Jan. 14 dinner, to which local lobbyists and business representatives will be invited, is not a fund-raiser. And the Conservative Caucus PAC will not raise funds during the Legislature's general session, even though it could.

"We want to stay clear of any of that," said Hughes.

Hughes said that on the morning of a daylong House GOP caucus meeting in mid-December, the Conservative Caucus met and talked about how state government can't grow by $1 billion next year. The later debate in the closed 56-member GOP caucus went along the lines of the Conservative Caucus spending thinking, and conservatives were pleased with the $230 million tax cut recommendation, he added.

Curtis sees the events a bit differently. He said more than 40 House Republicans voted for the big tax cut in the main caucus meeting, and the speaker doesn't see budget decisions driven by one group or another.

"I don't think the Conservative Caucus can take credit," said Curtis. "I just ask that no (House Republicans) become dogmatic in their positions so we can't get things done" as a whole GOP House caucus.

Finally, Hughes said the Conservative Caucus PAC is a reorganization of a "loose-jointed" effort that actually started earlier in 2005, when a few conservatives hired Adams to help with their own constituent work. Adams formed a PAC, called the Sage Brush PAC, that raised and spent $1,700.

Hughes said when conservatives decided in December to raise considerably more funds — and get involved in financially supporting not only their own re-elections but other conservative issues as well — the Sage Brush PAC was closed and the new Conservative Caucus PAC founded.

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com