Yep, that fine public servant Dmitrich. A man who has never seen a free golf game or Jazz ticket he didn't like, Dmitrich took at least $6,777 in gifts valued at more than $50 a day, an analysis published in, and compiled by, the Deseret Morning News from lobbyist financial filings shows. Dmitrich even took a free round trip to Florida, costing at least $1,700, to look at a special interest's privatization efforts. And he found time to squeeze in a lobbyist-paid round of golf in Boca Raton.

Guess who was third in the overall gift-taking list? Right again, that fine public servant Bramble, who was just slightly in less need of freebies than Dmitrich. Bramble took at least $4,475 from lobbyists in gifts valued at more than $50 a day.

And those impressive numbers are in expensive gifts of $50 a day or more. By Utah law, passed by the Legislature, only gifts of $50 or more are listed with an accepting legislator's name — although some lobbyists report all gifts by legislators' names. The law only requires that gifts under $50 be listed with the price of the gift.

Lord knows how much these two men took in free meals, event tickets or what-have-you valued at under $50 a day.

Oh, and how much in gifts did I take from individuals or groups trying to influence my reporting in 2007? Zero. Nada. Nothing.

Professional ethics sure look different in some places than others, don't they?

---

Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com