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Gov. Gary Herbert's campaign fundraising missteps prompted House Speaker Greg Hughes to caution his colleagues Wednesday to keep "bright, bright" lines between raising money and having policy discussions, and to always assume their conversations could be recorded.
"When we're speaking with lobbyists, when we're speaking with others, we have to be very careful," Hughes warned members of the House Republican caucus, suggesting that his own jokes and sarcasm may not be flattering if it were to be made public in a recording.
Hughes also warned members to separate their campaign fundraising from meetings in which they discuss policy issues before the Legislature.
"We've got to create bright, bright lines between those conversations and the efforts we have to raise money for our campaigns," Hughes said.
The speaker's comments came amid the fallout from a meeting Herbert held last month with a group of lobbyists and supporters to discuss fundraising for his re-election bid and told more than two dozen attendees his chief of staff and lieutenant governor would be running the state so he could be on "high giddy-up" on the campaign trail.
In the meeting, an audio recording of which was obtained by The Tribune, his campaign finance director explained that the governor had spent two hours at lobbyist Doug Foxley's office, meeting individually with seven of Foxley's clients while the governor was "collecting checks, talking specifically about their issues" for about 20 minutes each.
The governor has come under fire from his Republican primary opponent Jonathan Johnson, who called the tactic "disgusting," and his Democratic challenger Michael Weinholtz, who said Wednesday that he would not accept any money from lobbyists, corporations or special-interest groups.
"This is the people's house. It is your house. It belongs to you. I will tear down the 'For Sale' sign on the Capitol," said Weinholtz, who said that for two days a month he would have open-door listening sessions for any member of the public, without regard for campaign donations.
Weinholtz is the owner of one of Utah's largest businesses, CHG Healthcare, and so far has loaned $1 million to his gubernatorial campaign.
Herbert's campaign spokesman, Marty Carpenter, said the governor is more interested in talking about the real issues in this election.
Hughes said that, until the last few years, legislators have been warned not to accept a check at a meeting where issues were discussed, but about five years ago, newly elected House Speaker Becky Lockhart brought an ethics attorney to speak to the House.
"His counsel to us a number of years ago was, in those fundraising events you go to or when receiving a contribution, you have to stay absolutely away from legislation, specifically," Hughes said.
gehrke@sltrib.com Twitter: @RobertGehrke