Risch spending little of campaign funds

BOISE – Idaho Gov. Jim Risch has collected nearly $130,000 in campaign contributions for his run for lieutenant governor this year but has spent little of it campaigning.

Risch has $119,953 in campaign cash – and a $360,000 campaign debt to himself that he’s carried over since he spent his own money to defeat then-Lt. Gov. Jack Riggs in the GOP primary in 2002.

Risch’s Democratic opponent, former Congressman Larry LaRocco, says that suggests that Risch’s donors this year – including big-business interests who directly benefited from his tax reform plan – could be donating directly to Risch’s pocket, as he could use the money to pay off the debt to himself.

Risch, who hasn’t made any payments on the campaign debt since 2002, said, “I’m going to continue to carry the debt until I quit running for public office.” But he said he’s made no plans beyond that. “I haven’t crossed that bridge,” he said. “I haven’t given it any thought.”

LaRocco said, “He hasn’t paid one dollar for a Web site, bought a sign that we can tell, run a poll or bought a bumper sticker. … What’s he going to do with the money that he’s accumulated from large special interests to this point? A lot of the beneficiaries of his tax plan have contributed to him, and I think he should be forthright with the people of Idaho on what’s going on here.”

LaRocco has outraised Risch, collecting $140,923 so far this year. He’s spent $114,892 – $92,903 of that since June. LaRocco’s campaign expenditures have gone mostly for polling, consulting, advertising, travel and his campaign Web site.

Risch, whose total raised comes to $138,291, including $8,829 carried over from last year, has spent $18,698 campaigning – just $9,778 of that since June. His main campaign expenses since June were $4,000 in salary to his son Jason, who’s his campaign manager, and a $2,000 donation to Republican Butch Otter’s campaign for governor.

Risch spent $100 on advertising and $39 on postage.

“The purpose of the money is to put your message out to voters,” Risch said. “At this point we’re going to continue to monitor this, we’re going to continue to see how our message is getting out, and we’ll do what is appropriate.”

Risch said he sees little difference between accepting contributions with a debt on the books or without. Donors essentially are contributing to the candidate personally either way, he said, because their contributions mean the candidate doesn’t have to pony up his own money.

LaRocco contends Risch has used his current position as governor to campaign, flying frequently around the state to hand out state grant funds and make other appearances at taxpayer expense.

LaRocco has been driving around the state as part of a handshaking campaign that’s taken him to all 44 Idaho counties. So far, he’s shaken 17,923 Idahoans’ hands, he said. He’s also spent all but $26,031 of his campaign funds as he heads into the final month before the election.

LaRocco analyzed Risch’s latest campaign finance report and compared it to his, and said he had 518 contributors give an average of $192, while Risch had 82 contributors give an average of $1,006. He noted that 95 percent of his contributions were from individuals, while Risch got 54 percent of his money from businesses and PACs including Potlatch, Qwest, Avista, Micron and Albertsons.

But Risch noted that lots of LaRocco’s money came from out of state, including many of his individual contributions.

LaRocco responded, “I have a lot of friends all over the country, family, and a lot of people in my network of contacts all over the country that want to support me in this effort.”

Risch said the reports show what they always do – that the Republican got money from business and the Democrat from unions. But just $12,500 of the $99,515 LaRocco raised since June came from unions.

LaRocco said his overall fund- raising has exceeded Risch’s because “people appreciate the fact that I’m working hard in the campaign. … It supports what I find in my handshaking, that people really want balance in the state of Idaho.”

Risch said he hasn’t been actively fundraising in recent months. “I hate raising money, I absolutely hate asking people for money,” he said. But, he said, “When somebody sends me a contribution, I don’t send it back.”