Reader comments
Time is right for ethics rules

It is abhorrent. But what else can we expect from lifer politicians?

If our US Senator Orin Hatch were to retire I believe he would have the same latitude in using his political action committee and campaign funds.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thank you

I hope he donates it to Children First Utah.

Greg Curtis was a very successful politician. Yes, to the media that is a dirty word. But just like class envy (those with less money villify those with money), this article reveals once again the media's bias against success.

Why not say "Greg Curtis has the largest campaign chest in Utah - he was VERY successful in soliciting donations, therefore there were many Utahns who supported him and his agenda over his 14 years of public service. Now the question is, what does he do with the money he so successfully raised? The law doesn't require that he does anything in partuclar with it. Greg has said he will donate to charity. Perhaps this would be an area where it would be a good idea to have some regulations that outline how the money can be used, to give guidance to successful politicians like Greg and to help them stay within what the public determines to be ethical guidelines."

The DNews ALWAYS takes the negative, finger-pointing, suspicious side and calls it reporting. It is more like gossip and we, the public end up with misinformation and people's characters are slandered. What decent people are going to run for office?

Do we REALLY think more rules make people more ethical???

What we need is more ethical people, not more rules.

Rules are NOT what make people ethical. They just tell un-ethical people how to appear to be ethical.

If you want to take all gifts and donations off the table, pay them. Not just the token pay they get now but real wage for their time.

That way they don't feel entitled to the gifts and donations. I can get behind that.

Politicians will ALWAYS feel entitled to the gifts and donations. No matter how much we pay them.

How much money would it take to get YOU to act with integrity? Exactly, money shouldn't be the issue.

Don't elect unethical people and you won't need more legislation or more money to keep them ethical.

Greg Curtis took this money from Special Interest groups that were buying his support and votes. Curtis was a powerful politician that represented the will of the people with money not the citizens of Sandy. No politician should be able to keep their campaign funds after they quit or are defeated in an election.
Curtis showed by his actions in the Legislature that he was bought and paid for by Special interests. Look at all the damage his power caused this state. Vouchers, Jordan District Split, soccer stadiums, increased taxes from education bills.
We should be glad his is gone. He had better donate his money to a charity liked he promised. He ought to donate it to the Democratic Party to help them bring about balanced government in Utah!!!

Curtis was one paranoid politician. He used some of his campaign money to pay for a poll of his neighbors in Sandy. The pollster asked the neighbors who they supported in the Legislative race. If the neighbor replied Seegmiller, the pollster would ask why they did not support Curtis. The conversations were taped.
Curtis must have then listened to the tapes. In a couple of Neighborhood Meetings he brought up the fact of how angry he was that several of his neighbors thought he was un-ethical.
This activity was weird and made many of the people attending the meeting very uncomfortable. Curtis should be ashamed of these types of activities.
I'm glad he is gone. He needs to donate his money to charity!!!

@Correct if I am wrong? 5:27a

I believe you're wrong. Federal campaign funds may be used for any purpose *except* personal expenses, as far as I've been able to determine.