Tim Stewart Went After Bridgewater - SADDLE PAC

From the Salt Lake Tribune

» Phone calls went out to rural delegates who, if they identified themselves as Bridgewater supporters, were asked if they knew he was a lobbyist who worked to get federal stimulus money for businesses, Bridgewater's campaign said.

Saddle PAC, a political action committee, was behind those calls, though its director Tim Stewart, a former Bennett staffer, says the effort wasn't a push-poll or an attack, but an effort to raise Bennett's profile on public lands and energy issues.

"Saddle PAC has historically supported members with strong public lands and energy backgrounds and will continue to do so," Stewart said.

Bridgewater laid the blame squarely on competing challengers.

"As our campaign continues to gain momentum it is unfortunate that opponents choose to counter with dirty tactics like this," Bridgewater said. "Delegates are smarter than that."

For its part, Bennett's campaign denounced negative attacks from other groups.

"As he has throughout the race, Senator Bennett continues to denounce these outside groups whether they attack him or one of his opponents," said the senator's son and campaign spokesman, Jim Bennett. Several groups have spent cash in Utah making phone calls, mailing political mailers or airing television ads slamming Bennett.

"Lee and Bridgewater are selective in denouncing only those that attack their campaigns, and they have yet to comment on FreedomWorks and Club for Growth's involvement in Utah's election," Bennett added.

An Inconvenient Truth: Erick Erickson

From the blogger who brought you such classic catchy psuedojournalistic headlines and professional commentary like:

Is Obama Shagging Hookers Behind the Media’s Back?

"I assume not. I assume that Obama’s marxist harpy wife would go Lorena Bobbit on him should he even think about it, but I ask the question to make one simple point: Barack Obama, like Elliott Spitzer, is a creation of the liberal media and, as a result, could be a serial killing transvestite and the media would turn a blind eye."

And intellectual commentary on twitter:

and Conservative Christian dialogue such as:

"At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator's house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?" Erick Erickson Post

not to mention his admiration for the constitution and it's provision to take a census:

If the census worker came by his house he would "pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35338.html#ixzz0r3LLFsjN

Erick Erickson presents to you, the people of Utah Mike Lee for U.S. Senate.

Erick Erickson has not only endorsed Mike Lee but spends most of his time belligerently fabricating lies, innuendo, and outright deceptive hit pieces on the opponents of Mike Lee.

Targets of Erick Erickson's attacks included Senator Bob Bennett, Republican Senate Candidate Cherilyn Eager, and current Republican Senate Candidate Tim Bridgewater.

"This needs done very carefully - and by a non-Lee campaign connection"

Remember how RedState.com Erick Erickson's national enquirer style blog went out this morning and rattled around the Utah Political echo chamber? "Did a Candidate for the US Senate Use Your Tax Dollars to Help A Mexican Drug Trafficker? The source has been identified and clearly reinforces the need to push it out but in a very careful/tactful manner by a non-Lee campaign connection. The names of those connected are listed throughout the email chain.

"Whether or not it is usable, the Lee campaign can't be the one to break this as an issue, it would only hurt their effort. This needs done very carefully - and by a non-Lee campaign connection. (Throwing rocks like this usually only hurts a campaign, whether true or not.)"

----- Forwarded message -----

From: "Marie N."

Date: Mon, Jun 14, 2010 9:45 am

Subject: [ufiretalk] 11 month old victim of ID theft

To:

I went to read the story and it does sound consistent with what I heard Tim saying. I'll have to see if that was one of the few times I actually recorded the meeting I was at. The one problem I see in the article is that there is a date attached to the funding, but no date attached to when the US govt began to suspect the named beneficiary as being involved w/ drug trafficking. I wonder if the funding was given prior to any concern. That would be a leap, then, to tie the funding to Tim. But as the article points out, one of the many concerns I had was just why had Tim thought funding low-income housing in Mexico using US funds was really a good thing for America. I am curious to see what you are able to discover on this Russell.

~Marie

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 9:38 AM, Russell Sias <RussellSias@gmail.com> wrote:

Found the author, sent him a message. Will see what happens.

Russell

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 9:31 AM, Marie N. wrote:

I am always cautious of things like this coming up so close to the primary date. I am a strong supporter of Mike Lee, but I agree with Russell in proceeding with caution without it being verified. I don't recall this being brought up in any of my investigating of Tim or Mike. The closest thing I heard was when I was in a meeting where Tim was defending his business practice of seeking government funding for his clients. He talked about one project where funds were received was for low-income housing in Mexico, and said this was good for America because rather than have them come here they could stay in their own country. I just thought that was an odd thing to "brag" about, because why do we need to build low-income housing in Mexico? Perhaps this project ended up being tied into the drug trafficker? Again, it's all so speculative unless you confirm things. I think it is best to make our decision about our next senator based on substantive facts. Definitely look into this, as it would be a concern, but don't hold it against anyone without substantiation. This coming from a strong supporter of Mike Lee. ;)

Sincerely,

Marie Nuccitelli, registered and active voter

Strong Supporter of Mike Lee for US Senate 2010

www.MikeLee2010.com

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 9:18 AM, Russell Sias wrote:

Good grief! If this is true, Tim should be toast. Mike cannot bring it up either.

Can we verify this information? Arnold, do you know the outfit turning out this info? Can you contact them, and pursue verification of this? It HAS TO BE verified. If it isn't verified, then it can't be used.

Whether or not it is usable, the Lee campaign can't be the one to break this as an issue, it would only hurt their effort. This needs done very carefully - and by a non-Lee campaign connection. (Throwing rocks like this usually only hurts a campaign, whether true or not.)

Later,

Russell

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 5:27 AM, Arnold Young wrote:

this site says that Bridgewater got US loans for a mexican drug trafficker. can anyone verify this. the accusation came from Red State who is usually pretty accurate.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/06/14/did-a-candidate-for-the-us-senate-use-your-tax-dollars-to-help-a-mexican-drug-trafficker/

Thanks

Arnold Young

Cell 801-372-1585

my website arnoldyoung.info

or Freedomcalling.info

Lobbyist Lee

A Public Forum Letter in the Salt Lake Tribune Published June 12, 2010

Lobbyist Lee

The controversy about the failure of U.S. Senate challenger Mike Lee to register last year as a lobbyist gives us several important lessons in elementary government law.

Lee says he spoke with Michael Cragun, then a lawyer with the lieutenant governor's office, and was told that "answering questions about a bill's constitutionality wouldn't trigger a need to register as a lobbyist" ("Lawmakers say Lee acted as lobbyist," Tribune , June 4). The opinion was not reduced to writing, as it should have been.

Lee does not say he asked Cragun to refer his question to the attorney general's office, which Lee should have done, since it is the only state office authorized to issue legal opinions. Lee only says Cragun gave him an oral opinion, which is, as was said when I was attorney general, not worth the paper it is not written on.

The answer Lee says Cragun gave him -- that he would not actually be lobbying -- is on its face unbelievable. Surely the main law office of Lee's law firm, located in Washington, D.C., knows how to request a legal opinion from government that is worth something. Lee needs to learn how.

David L. Wilkinson Utah attorney general, 1981-89

Provo

Mike Lee for Senate 2010 - Thugs in Utah County

Mike Lee's complete answer to the Afghanistan question at the UCRW Debate on March 1, 2010 at the Provo Library.

Mike Lee: Meals on Wheels

Mike Lee's full answer to the Afghanistan question in Kaysville on March 19, 2010, in which he describes our efforts in Afghanistan as "meals on wheels" and "building self-esteem."

Mike Lee for Senate 2010 - The Utah Amicus

Mike Lee for Senate 2010 - A new standard of transparency and openness

Mike Lee files his financial disclosure!

The Mike Lee brigades are upset that their late financial disclosure shows that their boss made over $600,000 a year but still can't pay off his student loans or credit cards.

Mike Lee files his financial disclosure! - watch more funny videos

Mike Lee Lobbied for Allied Waste in 2008 Without Registering

We have been following the story of Mike Lee failing to register as a lobbyist while lobbying for 1800-CONTACTS in 2009. To justify his claims Mike Lee's campaign released a statement regarding this issue (we previously covered)

"Mr. Lee had checked with the Lt. Governor's office and talked with Attorney Michael Cragun before engaging in any activity on the hill and was informed that his role of answering questions as to the constitutionality of any proposed legislation did not trigger or meet any filing or reporting requirements," says Boyd C. Matheson, Communication Director.

But it seems as the news hit that Mike Lee had not registered as a lobbyists, more people have come forward to expose this lie by the Lee campaign by pointing to other bills he lobbied for clients he represented including Allied Waste in 2008.

The Daily Herald picked up this story and this is exposes Mike Lee as an unregistered lobbyist.

Complaint filed against Senate candidate over lobbying
Joe Pyrah - Daily Herald | Posted: Saturday, June 5, 2010 12:01 am

A complaint has been filed against U.S. Senate candidate Mike Lee that he lobbied on several occasions without a license. Another lobbyist has also come forward to say that Lee lobbied for bills beyond what is allowed without registering.
In 2008, Lee advocated on behalf of Allied Waste over a bill about where carriers could dump their garbage, said Lincoln Shurtz, a lobbyist for the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
"Beyond legal expertise, there was no doubt he was trying to use his cachet," said Shurtz, who was on the other side of the debate.
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said there are shades of gray in the law.
"It's not uncommon for a client to have an attorney present. The vast majority of the time those attorneys aren't [registered] lobbyists," Bramble said. "I could probably rattle off a few dozen scenarios comparable to Lee."
State code reads that lobbying is "communicating with a public official for the purpose of influencing the passage, defeat, amendment, or postponement of legislative or executive action."
Audio recordings of committee hearings where Lee was present in 2008 show he initially spoke about technicalities of the bill, but toward the end of the discussion, his comments turned to advocacy.
"A vote for this bill is a vote to protect the free market economy from local government monopolization," he said at the time. "There is a strong temptation for that kind of monopolization to occur because this sort of monopolization offers the ultimate promise to local governments: The ability to raise revenue without having to raise taxes or issue bonds."
In addition to Shurtz's claim, a formal complaint was filed against Lee this week that he went outside the scope of an attorney for 1-800-Contacts and lobbied for that company in 2009. Paul Neuenschwander with the lieutenant governor's office said they did receive a complaint about Lee and that they will turn it over to the attorney general's office for investigation. He declined to give the name of the person who submitted the complaint until after the investigation.
The potential punishment for not registering as a lobbyist is a $1,000 fine, and it would not disqualify anyone as a candidate, Neuenschwander said.
Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, is one of those saying that Lee did indeed go outside the scope of being an attorney.
"Did Lee lobby? Yes. Many senators and lobbyists could verify that," he wrote on his blog.
He said in a phone interview that he didn't see it as a big issue, but that Lee has targeted his GOP primary opponent Tim Bridgewater for his part as a federal lobbyist for Thai Frozen Food Association. (Urquhart supports Bridgewater in the race.)
Lee's spokesman disagrees with the recent lobbying complaint, saying that Lee cleared with the Lt. Governor's Office first the things he was allowed to say before he went to the Capitol on behalf of 1-800-Contacts.
"Their lobbyists were there ... and Mike was there to answer the questions as related to the constitutionality and how it was all framed," said Boyd Matheson, who added that Lee spoke ahead of time with the lieutenant governor's office to make sure what he was going to say wouldn't require registration as a lobbyist.
Bramble ran the 2009 trademark bill in question, as well as a separate bill that helped Raser Technologies, which Bridgewater is part of. He said Friday that both men spoke to him about the proposed legislation, but that he didn't see it as lobbying.
There was also a strong ethics atmosphere in 2009, Bramble said, prompting him to call the lieutenant governor's office at the time. He said he was told that what Bridgewater and Lee were doing did not amount to lobbying.
"There are nuances. There are shades of whatever this is."

We will keep following these stories.

Lee campaign's attack backfires

BACKFIRE ON THE LEE CAMPAIGN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MIKE LEE LOOKS LIKE A SCHMUCK.



Mike Lee says he was not lobbying, but rather "giving legal background advice. Answering legal questions on the part of those I represent." Lee says he cleared his activities through the Lt. Governor's office, which is responsible for overseeing lobbyist reporting.

Fox 13 has learned of three different times others say Mike Lee lobbied state legislators.

Two republican state senators, Republicans Steve Urquhart and Dan Liljenquist tell fox 13 Lee lobbied senators on a corporate trademark bill in 2009.

That same year, Democratic Salt Lake County Council chair Joe Hatch tells Fox 13 Lee lobbied for an initiative in favor of mandating secret ballots for union organizing.

In 2008, government affairs director for the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Lincoln Shurtz, tells Fox 13 he and Lee lobbied on opposite sides of a waste initiative.

Shurtz said, "I know I was getting paid for what I was doing because I was being paid to advocate for a certain policy position. I don't know that he was being paid to advocate as well."

None of the people talking to Fox 13 suggest Lee acted inappropriately, except in not registering as a lobbiest, which is a state civil violation punishable by a fine of $1000.00 and a period of time in which lobbying is not allowed.

"I helped him set up his Davis county organization," State Sen. Dan Liljenquist said, "I don't know who's giving him advice."

THE REAL MIKE LEE

We all were thinking it. Someone captured it.

Mike Lee's position on social security? Total Horseshit says expert

Is Social Security unconstitutional?
Timothy Smeeding, a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who studies Social Security, was blunt in his assessment of Lee's proposal: "That is total horseshit."

Senate candidates take stands on Social Security reform
Safety net » Lee questions constitutionality of Social Security

By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune

Utah's Republican Senate candidates have outlined a vision for reforming Social Security that includes raising retirement ages, private accounts and, in Mike Lee's case, taking the retirement safety net away from the federal government and letting states run it.

"Somewhere down the road we need to ask: Is the federal government the right government to be administering this?" Lee asked. "You don't find a retirement system in [the Constitution]. That, with the 10th Amendment, says it's a program best administered by the states."
Lee's proposal would mark a historic shift in the 75-year-old program, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in three cases in 1937 is a constitutional exercise of federal power.

Timothy Smeeding, a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who studies Social Security, was blunt in his assessment of Lee's proposal: "That is total horseshit."
"What happens to people who move in and out of the state? It's just knee-jerk," he said. "[Social Security] is a federal program. It covers you no matter where you live and as long as you live."
With workers moving between states, a state-by-state patchwork is an idea that is impractical and should be discarded, Smeeding said.

KSL also reports the Mike Lee Lobbyist story

So is Mike Lee is getting credit for his skills as a lobbyist by Senator Urquhart in this KSL article.

Accusations fly over GOP Senate candidate acting as a lobbyist

June 4th, 2010 @ 8:55am

By Randall Jeppesen

SALT LAKE CITY -- Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Mike Lee is being accused of working as a lobbyist last year without ever registering as a lobbyist.

A complaint was filed with the lieutenant governor's office concerning Lee's activities in 2009 as he listed 1-800 Contacts as a client. State Sen. Steve Urquhart pushed a trademark bill that 1-800 Contacts wanted to see passed, and Urquhart says he worked with a team of lobbyists including Mike Lee.

"He actually was a fairly effective lobbyist. I think he did well on it," says Urquhart. "Was he back there trying to help sell the bill? Yes is the answer."

State law requires lobbyists to register, and people can be fined for not doing so.

Mike Lee's spokesman responded to the accusations reported in the Salt Lake Tribune calling the complaint a last-minute smear of Lee's campaign. He even called Urquhart a henchman of his GOP Senate opponent Tim Bridgewater.

Urquhart says he's not taking sides in this issue and was surprised by the harsh words directed at him from Lee's campaign. Urquhart says he didn't know Lee wasn't registered as a lobbyist until recently and he was simply answering media questions about the 2009 bill.

Lee's campaign has said his work with 1-800 Contacts was not as a lobbyist and he cleared the issue with the lieutenant governor's office a year ago.

The Tribune also reports Lee's spokesperson says this is an attempt to hide Bridgewater's record of lobbying.

Bridgewater did register as a lobbyist in Congress in behalf of a foreign company, but he says he never ended up doing any lobbying work.

(KSLNEWS)

Sen. Steve Urquhart Responds "Mike Lee Lobbyist Issue"

In his blog www.steveu.com/blog Utah state Senator Steve Urquhart wrote a response to the news articles that broke yesterday concerning senate candidate Mike Lee's failure to register as a lobbyist when lobbying in 2009 for 1-800-Contacts. In Lee's campaign statement made to Fox 13 News, the Mike Lee campaign characterized Senator Steve Urquhart as "Tim Bridgewater's henchman"

"It is a last minute attempt, two weeks before an election, by Tim Bridgewater's henchman, Steve Urquhart, to smear Mike Lee over an action he fully cleared with the Lt. Governor's office a year ago." article

In response to the Lee campaign's attack, Sen. Steve Urquhart wrote the following >>


MIKE LEE LOBBYIST ISSUE

June 4, 2010
by Senator Steve Urquhart

Yesterday, someone filed a complaint about Mike Lee failing to register as a lobbyist. I don’t know who filed the complaint.

Because the lobbying involved a bill I championed, reporters asked me whether Lee had lobbied on the Hill. The answer is yes. Simple enough, right?

Because I answered the reporters’ questions, the Lee campaign called me a “henchman” for Tim Bridgewater (who, though I now support after Bennett’s defeat, I hadn’t really spoken with for 8 years prior to Lee’s immaculate lobbyist claims). Why the unhinged response by Lee? Does Lee think I should have “no commented” the questions? Does he think I should cover for him? Is he sending a message to the world that Mike Lee won’t tolerate scrutiny? Or does he simply have really thin skin? In any event, it’s weird behavior by Lee.

Did Lee lobby? Yes. Many senators and lobbyists could verify that. For example, this article notes that Lee’s friend, who is neutral in the race (but did host An Evening on the Constitution event for Lee), and who was working against us on the bill in question, also replied to media’s inquiries by stating that Lee lobbied. It’s simply not true that Lee didn’t lobby.

Many lobbyists, including Mike, add to the political process by succinctly sharing information and fielding technical questions. I don’t believe that anyone is saying he conducted himself in an inappropriate manner while lobbying. I personally asked Senators to meet with him about the bill, and while we sat there, he lobbied them. He did a fine job. It simply is a question whether he should have registered. If he believes he has a suitable answer, why not simply give it?

Lee is griping about the timing of the complaint. Is it political? Of course it is, but Lee seems to be the one who triggered the issue. He is the one who indignantly stated that Bridgewater is a lobbyist. The complaint appears designed to point out that Lee’s charges are hypocritical. It was a stupid political move on his part, and he got called on it.

U.S. Senator Mike Lee accused of unlawful lobbying

This story is troubling, to think that a potential candidate to represent Utah in the senate who is an attorney and constitutional expert neglects to register as a lobbyist and lawmakers on both sides of the bill agree that Mike Lee was lobbying, we should call for an investigation of his actions and hold him accountable. Citizens of Utah are skeptical of government and special interests and this is example justifies our concern. This is the article from Fox 13 News.

U.S. Senator Mike Lee accused of unlawful lobbying

Max RothFOX 13 News
5:21 PM MDT, June 3, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY - Two days in 2009 could be causing U.S. Senate Candidate Mike lee trouble. That year, corporations were fighting each other over legislation proposing rules overseeing who has rights to keyword search terms online. Two state senators, Steve Urquhart of Washington County and Dan Liljenquist of Davis County, tell Fox 13 Lee was working at the state capitol for at least two days talking to senators on behalf of a client, 1-800-CONTACTS. Lee's campaign countered with a strongly worded statement saying he cleared his activity with the Lt. Governor's office. Lee's statement also leveled accusations against Tim Bridgewater.

Lobbying is legal and both senators tell Fox 13 Mike Lee acted appropriately, but paid lobbyists have to register, according to state law. Fox 13 confirmed with the state elections office Lee never did register.

Text of Lee's campaign statement:

"This is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to hide Mr. Bridgewater's own record of lobbying Washington, D.C. for foreign companies, and pushing their overseas interests upon our government. It is a last minute attempt, two weeks before an election, by Tim Bridgewater's henchman, Steve Urquhart, to smear Mike Lee over an action he fully cleared with the Lt. Governor's office a year ago. The timing is suspect and disgusting and voters will see through this.

"Mr. Lee had checked with the Lt. Governor's office and talked with Attorney Michael Cragun before engaging in any activity on the hill and was informed that his role of answering questions as to the constitutionality of any proposed legislation did not trigger or meet any filing or reporting requirements," says Boyd C. Matheson, Communication Director.

From Bridgewater's campaign statement:

Press Secrtary, Tiffany Gunnerson says: "These allegations have been out there for a while. We've known about this, the lGS office has known about this and the only reason this is surfacing now is because Mike Lee has launched into the politics of hypocrisy"

Mike Lee does not take his own advice

http://www.redstate.com/utah_cares/2010/06/03/mike-lee-does-not-take-his-own-advice/

Posted by utah_cares (Profile)

Thursday, June 3rd at 4:22PM EDT

5 Comments

Recommenders: webmonkeyutah

US Senate candidate
Mike Lee does not take his own advice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuC9QEbw3MY

Previous to convention, I promoted the following principle:
“You are trying to promote and defend a candidate, not attack others trying to do the same. Target candidate issues, records, statements, or possible conflicts of interest. No writing about family member…s or character assassination.”

That principle was something both the Eagar, Bennett and Bridgewater campaigns generally seemed to follow. A principle many of the Lee supporters would not follow. It cost Mike Lee at convention. After, Mike and campaign claimed those people were just being rogue, [even those with campaign titles] and said they would and could not control them.

When other campaigns before the convention went after Mike’s statements, he said they shouldn’t do that, he wouldn’t do that, and usually implied they were lying.

Now that Mike is doing exactly what he said he wouldn’t do, I assume he wants us to now ignore him and ask the other guy what the truth is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuC9QEbw3MY

US Senate candidate Mike Lee does not take his own advice

US Senate candidate Mike Lee does not take his own advice