Bills forwarded a statement Dew issued Sunday that said Deseret Book has done nothing to support fund-raising efforts for Romney and that it will maintain that approach.

Some Utahns, including Gardner, who was an LDS Church mission president in Massachusetts, have been longtime supporters of Romney.

The Massachusetts News reported in 2002 that when Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts, "influential" Utahns donated more than $41,000 to his campaign and more than $130,000 to the Massachusetts Republican Party. According to the report, Gardner and his wife each donated $500 to the campaign, with Gardner family members contributing $15,000 to the Massachusetts GOP.

As of Monday, Romney's Commonwealth PAC, which raises money for Republican candidates around the country, was sticking to a statement it issued over the weekend, saying it recognizes the political neutrality of the LDS Church.

"Don Stirling is an old and dear friend of Governor Romney," wrote Jared Young, PAC communications director. "He got over-enthusiastic and overstepped his bounds. The Commonwealth PAC has taken appropriate action to make sure it doesn't happen again."

At one point, two business school deans at church-owned Brigham Young University, also a tax-exempt entity, sent an e-mail on a school computer, soliciting BYU alumni to support Romney.

BYU officials condemned the solicitation, saying it violated the school's position of political neutrality.

Gardner told the Tribune that sending the e-mail on a school computer was not planned.

In response to Globe stories appearing Oct. 19 and 22, the LDS Church on its Web site stated, "In light of articles appearing in the media, we reaffirm the position of neutrality taken by the Church, and affirm the long-standing policy that no member occupying an official position in any organization of the Church is authorized to speak in behalf of the church concerning the church's stand on political issues."

Church members across the country were also reminded Sunday, as is the case in every election year, to vote for candidates that support their views of good government, but that the church itself is neutral in politics.

In another statement by the LDS Church, director of media relations Michael Otterson responded over the weekend to the Globe's request for an interview about the Stirling e-mail to Dew.

"What you have sent me is an e-mail between two parties, quoting a third party, none of which are church representatives," Otterson wrote. "We have no responsibility for what others may write and what they may think."

---

E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com