From Deseret News archives:
Ex-foes donating to Huntsman campaign
Lampropoulos, Karras add to huge war chest
A list of contributions for August released Wednesday by the Huntsman campaign shows former Republican gubernatorial candidates Fred Lampropoulos and Nolan Karras gave money last month.
Lampropoulos, a wealthy medical firm CEO who spent nearly $3 million in his unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination, contributed $25,000 at a fund-raiser for Huntsman he hosted about two weeks ago — the largest single gift received by the campaign in August.
Karras, who lost a primary runoff election to Huntsman in June, gave $1,500.
"It's gratifying," Huntsman's campaign manager, Jason Chaffetz, said of the contributions. Chaffetz called Lampropoulos "a true believer" who is providing information on his own campaign contributors to Huntsman as well as cash.
"He has a great network and a great following out there," Chaffetz said of Lampropoulos. Another GOP opponent faced by Huntsman, House Speaker Marty Stephens, is also helping the campaign, Chaffetz said.
The list of contributors for August totals more than $303,000 and includes just $100 from a distant Huntsman relative. The Huntsman Corp. did allow the campaign to use its corporate jet for two trips to St. George last month, Chaffetz said, valued at $6,750 each.
To date, Huntsman and the family members who share his name have given a total of $150,000 in cash and nearly $64,000 in in-kind contributions, according to information supplied by the campaign. The candidate himself has loaned $275,000 to the race.
The goal is to raise as much as $4 million by November, and Chaffetz said the campaign is on target. Huntsman's opponent, Scott Matheson, Jr., has collected slightly more than $1 million so far, his campaign manager, Mike Zuhl, said.
"We haven't had to spend much. We feel we've been able to be competitive," Zuhl said. Unlike Huntsman, Matheson was nominated outright at his party's state political convention and did not face a primary election.
Matheson has chosen not to release monthly reports of campaign contributions, as Huntsman has pledged to do. "We're following the law and I think that's adequate," Zuhl said. "We will have a detailed report in two weeks."
Chaffetz said it is "a little disappointing" to see that Matheson is not making the same disclosures as Huntsman. "It's our belief that there's no reason to keep the books closed," Chaffetz said. "I think voters have a right to know who's donating to a campaign."
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