Retiring politicos can leave with cash

The 18 Utah legislators who retired this year — either voluntarily or by voters' choice — have nearly a combined half-million dollars sitting in campaign accounts, money that they currently can just give to themselves, spend on a future campaign or dole out to whomever they wish.

By far most of that cash belongs to House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, who was defeated Nov. 4 by Democratic challenger Jay Seegmiller. Curtis has $281,865 in his campaign account — and another $99,081 in his political action committee — the latest pre-election financial reports show.

But Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, who also lost in the general election, is no cash slacker — she has $32,000. And Sen. Darin Peterson, R-Nephi, who briefly sought re-election last spring before getting out of his race, has nearly $30,000. Retiring Sen. Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, has about $22,000.

That is not chump change.

And while Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and GOP and Democratic lawmakers alike are talking about changing the current campaign funding law to restrict state candidates and officeholders from giving themselves campaign money, it is questionable whether such a new law coming out of the 2009 Legislature could be retroactive to current campaign cash.

Utah allows campaign accounts to be spent on any legal activity. And in years gone by, some candidates and officeholders, and some former officeholders, have given themselves campaign cash.

Considering that among the current crop of 18 retiring legislators, 76 percent of their campaign money in their last year for which disclosure forms are available came from special interest groups, a Deseret News analysis of their latest filings shows, then, in effect, they could be retiring on cash from lobbyists and special interests who sought special favors from them.

Can such a thing really happen, one may ask?

Yep. For example, Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Logan, gave himself $6,300 last year from his campaign account, telling the newspaper that he is self-employed and he lost more than that through the 45-day general session and other legislative work days when he couldn't earn his regular pay. (Legislators make around $15,000 a year in state pay and expenses.)

And it has become rather regular for some retiring/retired legislators to donate big chunks of their campaign accounts to charities.