GOP breaks campaign laws, Utah Demos say

The Utah Democratic Party is filing complaints with the Federal Election Commission over how the Utah Republican Party, a national GOP PAC and the John Swallow campaign are "coordinating" their efforts this year, Democratic state chairman Donald Dunn said Tuesday.

Standing in the gutter outside of his party headquarters, Dunn threw down pictures of Sen. Orrin Hatch, Rep. Chris Cannon and GOP chairman Joe Cannon to illustrate in his words "how the 2nd District campaign has been thrown into the gutter" by Republicans who will do anything to unseat Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson.

Dunn also had harsh words for Utah direct mail expert Peter Valcarce, whose Arena Communications has produced direct mail pieces for Swallow, the Utah GOP and the National Republican Congressional Committee. Dunn called Valcarce's operations "the king of sleaze and smear" pamphleteering.

Dunn called the press conference in response to a Tuesday morning Deseret Morning News article that detailed how the NRCC and Utah GOP acted together to send out an anti-Matheson brochure to 76,000 Salt Lake County residents in the 2nd District.

Swallow, a Republican, is challenging Matheson for the second time. Matheson barely held his seat against a Swallow challenge in 2002.

The mailer, written by Arena Communications with input from others, criticizes Matheson for supporting a bill in Congress — the Dream Act — that is actually sponsored by Hatch and Rep. Cannon, who is Joe Cannon's younger brother. The act would give in-state college tuition to dependents of illegal aliens.

Valcarce said Tuesday that his, the NRCC's and the Utah GOP's actions "are completely legal. The charge (by Dunn) is bogus." Valcarce said Arena is the third-largest GOP direct mail operation in the nation, this year handling 50 Republican clients in 35 states.

Asked if it is odd that the state and national GOP would criticize Matheson for supporting a bill sponsored by two leaders in the Utah Republican Party, Valcarce said that while Hatch and Rep. Cannon are "great legislators," the Dream Act "is not supported by a majority of Utah Republicans; not supported by a majority of Utahns at all."

Dunn also complained about another Utah GOP flier, one that criticizes Matheson for supporting a new drug benefit for Medicare recipients. That new law was passed by congressional Republicans and signed by President Bush. So, again, said Dunn, GOP leaders are "using sleaze" to accuse Matheson of supporting a Republican plan.

"These mailers are dishonest and ridiculous," said Dunn. "We are filing two FEC complaints" to hold Swallow, state and national Republicans accountable for their actions.