Gov. Mike Leavitt raised $340,000 in 1993 through his personal political action committee - some of it from taxpayer-funded local governments, state subdivisions and local improvement districts.
Most, but not all, of the money came through buying tickets to the governor's annual fund-raising dinner - a dinner Leavitt calls his Spring Gala but which previous governors called the Governor's Ball.More than 2,000 people attended the gala last April in the Salt Palace. It was a successful event, except that fireworks set off in the hall burned out of control. But that's old news.
What is new in Leavitt's latest PAC report is that $13,800 came to the PAC from public institutions, according to a year-end filing with the lieutenant governor's office.
Former South Weber City Mayor Rex Bouchard, who left office Jan. 1, and his wife were among those who attended last year's gala, paying $150 a ticket. City administrator Ginger Miller says Bouchard served 19 years as mayor and never attended the event. "He was never invited."
Leavitt invited him and he came, using city taxpayer funds to buy the tickets.
Other public entities took some precautions before buying Leavitt ball tickets - which are, in effect, a political contribution to the governor. Salt Lake Community College bought $1,500 worth of ball tickets but used "foundation" monies donated to the college to "be used at the discretion of the (college) president," said Katherine Boswell, assistant to the president. The foundation also purchased tickets to a Democratic Party fund-raiser.
Weber State University also purchased tickets - $600 worth - with funds donated to the college. "No tax monies or state monies were used," said assistant to the president Carol Berrey. Utah Valley State College also gave $1,800 from foundation monies, the report shows.
The University of Utah bought at least two tickets (maybe more, there's some discrepancy about that) as part of a written policy implemented by President Arthur Smith.
"We buy two tickets, not more, to the Governor's Ball, the attorney general's Law Day and the Legislative Ball," said Smith. Attorney General Jan Graham has continued a political fund-raising tradition started by her predecessor of holding a "Law Day" fund-raising dinner. The Republican majorities in the House and Senate hold a Legislative Ball each year during the session - their political fund-raising event. Democratic lawmakers hold a Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner fund-raiser during the session.
"The money comes from an unrestricted account (funded) from private donations to the university. No taxpayer money is used at all," Smith said. He said he specifically doesn't allow more than two tickets to be purchased for each of the three events, a total of $300 for Leavitt's ball. However, Leavitt's PAC report shows that the U. bought four tickets, making a donation of $600. Smith says Leavitt's report must be in error.
The Bear River Water Conservancy District forked over $600 for four tickets to the ball, but local public outcry over the incident prompted board members who attended to reimburse the district out of their own pockets.
"I hope we have laid this all to rest," said general manager Frank Nishiguchi. "I know one thing: It will never happen again. If I go to the Governor's Ball, it will be out my own pocket."
The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District paid $3,000 to attend the Governor's Ball - buying two full tables - and while general manager Ivan Flint said there are no plans to reimburse the district, the board is seriously reconsidering whether to participate in the future. "There is a very good chance we won't," he said.
Flint said the district does not make political contributions, but he added the board believed the Governor's Ball was one way to make a non-partisan contribution. "Whoever is governor, we thought it was a good way to support them in that way," Flint said. "We did not look at it as a direct political contribution." The money used to buy the tickets came from the sale of water, not from tax dollars, Flint said.
Another organization that has decided not to participate in future balls is the Utah League of Cities and Towns - a lobbying group funded by dues paid by cities from tax coffers. Director Ken Bullock said private donations - not taxpayer funds - were used to purchase the $1,500 in ball tickets, but even that has prompted the organization to re-examine its policy.
"We have revisited the issue and have decided not to participate in future Democratic or Republican fund-raising functions," he said. "There may be individuals who participate, but as an organization we will not."
LaVarr Webb, Leavitt's deputy for policy, said if any agency used taxpayer money to buy tickets to the ball, "we'll refund their money. We don't want that." Webb said Leavitt didn't invite more government officials to the ball than previous governors, although they did invite a lot of people. Leavitt's PAC money goes for a lot of things that probably wouldn't be consider direct political activity. (See box.)
But Webb added, "We do plan to have considerable money (from the PAC) available for 1996" when Leavitt plans to run for re-election. Leavitt ended 1993 with $61,691 in cash in his PAC.
While some officials of the various government/education institutions who bought tickets to the ball didn't fully understand that the Governor's Ball is really a political fund-raiser, the U.'s Smith does.
In a letter addressed to a supporter of Graham who asked the U. to buy a whole table at her fund-raiser last year, Smith wrote: "I believe strongly that university funds, from whatever source, should not be used to make political contributions." However, Smith said he feels it important that public university presidents attend significant events sponsored by state elected officials - like the Governor's Ball, the attorney general's dinner and the Legislative Ball. He makes exception to his rule for those three events, he said.
Besides the Governor's Ball, Leavitt also holds a fund-raiser in Park City each winter - the Governor's Winter Festival - where guests attend a dinner and ski. The February 1993 event raised $50,000 for Leavitt. The Park City municipal government gave that event $300, the cost of two tickets.
Said City Manager Toby Ross: "We gave the money through the (local) Chamber of Commerce. We don't look on it as a direct contribution to a PAC, although that is where it ended up. The governor's event is seen as a promotion of the city and tourism in general; it does bring a lot of people to town." The $300 came out of city taxpayer funds.
*****
(Additional information)
How the money was spent
Leavitt spent $41,353 of the $340,590 he raised in 1993 on direct political activities, paying off $25,852 of 1992 campaign debts plus giving $10,000 to the Utah Republican Party, $3,000 to Utah Republican Women and $2,500 to Lt. Gov. Olene S. Walker.
About $100,000 was spent to hold the fund-raising events, the Governor's Ball and the Winter Festival.
Funds also paid for travel for Leavitt, his family and top aides when they attend in-state and out-of-state events that Leavitt considers political.
For example, two trips to Republican Governor's Association meetings, for Leavitt and aides, were paid for from the PAC. Leavitt also takes his children and/or his wife on state business trips to Washington, D.C. The state pays for Leavitt's expenses on such trips, but family travel comes from the PAC.