Romney raises $125,000 at Salt Lake City fundraiser

Utahns continue to open their wallets for Mitt Romney.

The former leader of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City raised about $125,000 at a Tuesday dinner held at the Little America Hotel, according to his spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.

Fehrnstrom said 150 people attended the event, which cost contributors $1,000 a plate or $5,000 for special access to a VIP reception before the dinner.

"Mitt Romney appreciates the support, and the money raised will allow him to stay active politically and help the Republican Party come back strong in the 2010 elections," Fehrnstrom said.

The money will go to Romney's "Free & Strong America" political action committee, which funds his appearances on behalf of GOP candidates and issues as well as direct campaign contributions.

The PAC was created before Romney's unsuccessful run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. While Romney has yet to declare his political plans, he is widely seen as a frontrunner for his party's nomination in 2012.

Utahns have long supported the Boston businessman and member of the LDS Church who made millions turning around troubled companies before taking over the scandal-scarred Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Romney left Utah just days after the Olympics ended and returned to Massachusetts, where he was elected governor. As he readied for his presidential run while in office, he turned to Utahns for financial help. They came through, providing nearly half the funds for his PAC by mid-2006, a Deseret News analysis found.

When Romney became a candidate for the White House, he again tapped residents of the Beehive State, raising an unprecedented $6 million from Utahns for his presidential campaign.

Some Utah politicians have benefited from Romney's ability to raise money in Utah. Earlier this year, he held a fundraiser for Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who is facing a tough primary next year. Romney will hold another fundraiser for Bennett in October, Fehrnstrom said, and also plans to help Gov. Gary Herbert's campaign for the remainder of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s term.

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