Capitol capital: Special interests are major source of funds

Incoming House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander joined a fifth of Utah legislators in a unique club this year: those who collected 100 percent of their campaign funds from special interests and not one dime from their own constituents.

"I didn't need to," Alexander, R-Provo, explained. Money flowing from special interests supplied all he needed. "I had no opponent at all. I just didn't ask" constituents for money, he said. Special interests even provided enough for him to give $10,000 to other GOP candidates, likely bolstering his run for majority leader.

Nineteen of the new Legislature's 104 members — one of every five — had all their campaign financial needs met by special interests in their most recent election, according to an extensive campaign disclosure review by the Deseret Morning News.

The computer-aided study shows almost all of the part-time legislators are relying more and more — some heavily — on special-interest financing. In short, all Utah legislators except one depend on outside money for their elections, and the lion's share of that comes from donors who are pulling for their own special interests.

Key findings from the Morning News research include:

• Special interests provided $4 of every $5 raised by all legislators in their last winning campaigns.

• Twelve of every 13 Utah legislators collect at least half their campaign money from special interests, and most receive far more than that.

• Most money comes from a small core of special interests. The dozen groups that gave the most provided 25 percent of money raised from all sources. The top 50 such groups provided half the money.

• Only one of Utah's 104 legislators received a majority of his money from residents of his own district. That means all but one lawmaker depend on "outside money" from people who can't actually vote for the candidate they are financially supporting.

Legislators have consistently killed campaign finance reform proposals. Reform proponents doubt they have any chance for change anytime soon.

"Obviously, this is a troubling trend," said Anthony Musci, president of Utah Common Cause, a government watchdog group. "It's a question of who owns the democratic process. And if you don't pay for it, you don't own it."

Incoming House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, believes, "Right now, (legislators) are far too beholden to special interests."

Lorna Vogt, director of the reformist Utah Progressive Network, said the current system "is legalized bribery."

Big cash