Huntsman names his PAC donors

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. used a loophole in campaign disclosure laws to keep secret who is funding much of his race this year — until he was questioned about it Monday by the Deseret News and voluntarily disclosed hidden information.

But if his initial maneuver were copied by other candidates for state office and the Legislature, it could allow them to keep secret the identity of most donors until well after parties choose nominees — by forming their own political action committees. Huntsman used the legal loophole even though he has advocated reform to make state government more transparent.

Here is what happened:

The law requires the campaigns of candidates for state office to file disclosure forms a week before a party convention (or any election) to disclose all their donors, so delegates and voters can weigh such information as they vote. Huntsman's campaign filed such forms as required this week before the upcoming GOP State Convention on Saturday.

But 92 percent of the $227,177 that his campaign reported raising this year was disclosed only as coming from Huntsman's PAC, the "Governor's Special Initiatives Office," without saying who had given that PAC money. The group is a political action committee set up by the governor four years ago to raise money for a variety of reasons, including jump-starting his re-election campaign this year. The PAC has several fund-raising events annually, including the large Governor's Ball in the fall.

Reporting deadlines for such PACs are different than reporting deadlines for candidates' campaigns. The PAC, by law, does not need to report how much it raised and from whom until Aug. 31 — or months after the April/May county and state party conventions, or the June primary election.

Huntsman has used his PAC for almost all of his fundraising, and transferring money as needed to his campaign account to spend on his re-election. By funneling most donations through the PAC instead of having direct campaign fundraising, the public doesn't know who most of his donors are until well after a nominee is selected.

Huntsman faces only a nominal GOP challenge Saturday in the state Republican convention and will likely win renomination there by getting 60 percent of the delegate vote.

When asked Monday for a comment, Huntsman spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley acknowledged that the loophole exists.

But then she sent the Deseret News the contribution information for the PAC in 2008 that had not been made public. She said, "Not that many people have given to the PAC this year; our main fundraiser is in the late summer."