Expenditures by Shurtleff PAC questioned

An opponent says it is inappropriate and maybe illegal. But a political action committee formed by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff raised and spent $250,000 this year on items often related to campaigns, but which it says actually were not part of his U.S. Senate campaign.

Shurtleff's "PAC for Utah's Future" must say that because disclosure forms show it raised money from sources and in amounts that are legal for state-level races but banned by federal law for federal races.

Still, expenses it reported went for such items as candy for parades, buying tables at local GOP conventions, travel and donations to GOP groups and candidates, which, at least, could raise name recognition and spread goodwill that could help his Senate race.

Not amused is Jim Bennett, campaign chairman for his father, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, whom Shurtleff is challenging.

"As the state's chief law enforcement officer, he (Shurtleff) should know that federal law expressly forbids co-mingling state and federal campaign funds. What he has done is clearly inappropriate and very possibly illegal," Jim Bennett said.

But Shurtleff's campaign manager, Jason Powers, says all of Shurtleff's PAC finances have been handled appropriately, and it even hired the former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, Scott Thomas, as an attorney to help ensure the PAC does not cross any inappropriate lines.

"So if we ever have any questions about what we are doing, I pick up the phone, I ask Scott if we are getting close to the line or not. We set up some internal procedures to make sure none of that (crossing the line) happens," he said.

The PAC must be careful because federal law bans donations from corporations for federal races, but many of the donations to Shurtleff's PAC, especially the largest ones, are from corporations.

Also, federal law caps individual donations to federal PACs at $5,000. Shurtleff's PAC lists six donations of $25,000 or more, for example. Utah has no donation limits for state-level races.

Powers explained how some expenditures that might appear as potentially for Shurtleff's Senate race are actually for his work as attorney general in the eyes of his PAC and campaign.