Governor hands back Envirocare's campaign donation

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is returning campaign contributions from Steve Creamer, prospective purchaser of Envirocare of Utah, after a controversy erupted over the $40,000 donation.

Huntsman's chief of staff, Jason Chaffetz, added that the governor's office is considering an executive order to ban Class B and C radioactive waste, which has higher potency than the low-level Class A material now disposed of by Envirocare's facility in Tooele County.

"It's a consideration," Chaffetz said. "We're just trying to develop a long-term strategy for exclusion of B and C waste."

According to disclosure forms filed Wednesday with the State Elections Office, Creamer donated $15,000 to the Huntsman campaign on Oct. 19 and another $25,000 on Dec. 12.

The larger donation came after the election and shortly before a deal was announced in which Creamer and others would purchase Envirocare for a sum not yet disclosed. Envirocare's owner, Khosrow B. Semnani, agreed to sell the company to an investment group led by Lindsay Goldberg & Bessemer of New York City and including Creamer Investments and several other local investment firms.

Creamer's donation is being returned with thanks, according to Chaffetz.

"We like Mr. Creamer," he told the Deseret Morning News on Thursday. "He's a good, solid contributor to society here. We're not trying to embarrass anybody."

Creamer has been a long-time, major contributor to the Republican Party. The governor's office is very grateful for that "and grateful (for) the donations he's given to our campaign," he said.

"But given the proximity to the B and C waste issue, we just want to be beyond the appearance of any question."

The money is being returned "just to be crystal clear" about the issue, he said. People in Huntsman's office contacted Creamer about the matter, and he was cooperative. "He wants to do the right thing and be supportive.

"And we like him," Chaffetz said. He added that Creamer was never trying to buy access with his contribution.

Tim Barney, Envirocare senior vice president, said Creamer does not own the company, and the contribution controversy seems somewhat confusing. "The transaction hasn't closed," he said of the sale.

"There are several things that need to happen before it closes." The parties are working on finalizing those items, he added.