Late money pours into U.S. Senate race in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Both friends and foes of embattled Sen. Bob Bennett are pouring late money into Utah's U.S. Senate race before state party conventions next week.

For example, the Club for Growth — a national conservative group — reported this week spending about $48,000 since the party caucuses last month against Bennett. Most of that went for mailings and phone calls to GOP delegates, plus $19,400 to Guidant Strategies of Salt Lake City for "strategic advice."

The $48,000 spent by the Club for Growth is more than what many actual candidates in the race spent, including poll frontrunner Mike Lee (who spent $22,688); Leonard Fabiano ($15,679); Merrill Cook ($4,282) and Cherilyn Eagar ($2,389).

However, Bennett reported spending at least $271,223 since the caucuses, as reported earlier. Tim Bridgewater — who has been running neck-and-neck with Bennett in polls of delegates behind Lee — spent $73,149.

Bennett has been running broadcast ads accusing the Club for Growth of attempted voter manipulation by an outside group. The club, in turn, charges that most of Bennett's money comes from out of state, so he should return it if he doesn't like out-of-state groups' involvement in Utah politics.

The Club for Growth contends, like Bennett's GOP challengers, that Bennett is not conservative enough. The club also has been critical of health care reform proposals that he pushed.

Since candidates filed a report covering their finances for April 1-18, Bennett has filed numerous additional reports — required within 24 hours anytime a campaign receives any donation larger than $1,000.

Bennett reported more than $34,000 in such late donations so far, as allies try to help him survive the convention. Among such donations were $5,000 from Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts' Preserving America's Traditions PAC; $3,000 from the pro-Israel NORPAC; $4,000 from the Action Committee for Rural Electrification; and $1,000 from Capital One's PAC.

Only Bennett, Cook and Eagar earlier this week provided copies of their pre-convention disclosure forms to the Deseret News on Monday, when they were due. Reports from some others have been provided in recent days.

Bridgewater's report shows he has loaned his campaign another $30,000 out of his own pocket, for a total of $337,000 that he has spent himself so far. Among spending that allowed was $1,080 for "pocket-size Constitutions for delegates."