From Deseret News archives:
Fiscal conservative Romney no miser on campaign spending
Big chunks given to consultants, staffers and advertising firm
From a $15 service fee for its travel agent to $31,500 to rent the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park for a celebratory barbecue, the Republican presidential contender was anything but fiscally conservative in spending money as fast as he raised it between April and June.
One Utahn profiting handsomely albeit indirectly from Romney's run is Don Stirling, whose e-mail sent last year to potential contributors created controversy about whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was helping build support for Romney.
Stirling is no longer directly paid by Romney's campaign. But he manages Rainmaker Sports & Entertainment, based in Sandy. And Romney's campaign pays Rainmaker $15,000 a month for what disclosure forms describe only as "finance consulting."
New disclosure forms filed with the Federal Election Commission show the Romney campaign paid $75,000 to Rainmaker during the past five months.
Stirling and Rainmaker did not immediately return phone calls about that payment Tuesday, so more detailed information about what kind of work it does is unavailable.
Rainmaker's offices are at Miller's office tower at Jordan Commons. Miller also did not return calls Tuesday about Rainmaker. Of note, Miller and Roney are big donors to the Romney campaign and its precursor political action committees. Miller gave them at least $12,300 and Roney gave them at least $7,300, according to FEC records.
Last year when Stirling was a paid consultant to Romney, he wrote an e-mail to Deseret Book President Sherri Dew which was later leaked to the Boston Globe newspaper where he implied the LDS Church and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve suggested using lists of the BYU Management Society to organize Romney support.
The e-mail also said that church President Gordon B. Hinckley knew of that effort and did not object to it.
That led to national controversy in the press about whether the church was endorsing and helping Romney. In response, the church issued statements saying its leaders were not involved in fund-raising, and that it is commited to neutrality in party politics.
Comments
- Kirilenko will not play tonight 2:37 a.m.
- Dry spell dooms UVU 2:32 a.m.
- Griffins cruise by St. Thomas 2:32 a.m.
- WSU wins conference road opener 2:30 a.m.
- Oden hurt, done for season? 12:56 a.m.
- USU home-court streak ends 12:55 a.m.
- USU names field after Merlin Olsen 12:52 a.m.
- Utes stop Idaho State 12:51 a.m.
- Y., U. to learn bowl destinations 12:49 a.m.
- Utes' team staying well-tuned 12:48 a.m.
- Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
309 - Letters: Liberal because LDS
247 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
195 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
189 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
128 - Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
105 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
104 - Harpring's NBA career is over
94 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
90
Trolley Square's annual Holiday Open House will feature visits with...
That does it — I'm having an affair! Thanks to Tiger Woods, David...
First, a big thank you to all who posted questions here for me to ask...
We'll be watching the AGGIES in the NIT. At least BYU will BE in the NCAA....
You're right, the REFs don't care...they laugh when they leave the...
Las Vegas- Wyoming v USC Poinsettia- Air Force v Cal Armed Forces- Utah v....
Just another mental lapse. This is the NBA, this isn't a regular high school...
T-Buck, ESPN's box has CJ Miles shooting 3-for-10. Not a great deal of...
Tiger Woods used the media build up and sponsorship $$$ to attract...
Hey fellow Aggies, quit whining. We lost to the better team tonight. BYU...
I am glad the Cougars won this one too. What was the score with AZ...
More Maynor, 10 min. of Fes, we get the win. Since Jerry's extension, Fes...
Ivan--thank you buddy. It's always good to get the input of a BYU fine...



You can be the first to comment on this story.