Some party faithful even passed messages to Parents for Choice in Education that if the group continued to shirk the debt, it would create a negative impression among Republican legislators the group is counting on to pass the voucher legislation this year.

And acting GOP Chairwoman Enid Greene said she was prepared to expose the outstanding debt at the State Republican Central Committee meeting in February.

"The bottom line is they promised to pay, and they paid," said Greene. "It may have taken longer than they intended."

The belated contribution, which mostly went to printing costs owed by the party, should put to rest any doubt about who was behind a flurry of Republican Party campaign fliers just before the November election targeting several incumbent legislators opposed by pro-voucher candidates.

The party took responsibility for the negative campaign fliers, but expected reimbursement from Parents for Choice in Education.

Besides the $70,000 paid Monday, the group's PAC had previously listed $58,000 in contributions to the State Republican Party, as well as about $110,000 in direct contributions to legislative candidates, $58,000 to school board candidates and another $11,000 to Republican county party organizations and GOP caucuses.

An analysis also shows that the large political contributions basically come from a small group of contributors.

Of $491,500 contributed to the Parents for Choice in Education PAC, $290,000 came from the national All Children Matter (mostly funded by the heirs of the Wal-Mart and Amway fortunes), $110,000 came from Overstock.com's Patrick Byrne, $61,500 came from Parents for Choice in Education principal Doug Holmes and $30,000 from a group of businesses that share the same address at 85 Eastbay in Provo and are linked to Kimber Academy, a private school chain dedicated to teaching LDS principles.

If it quacks like a duck: Former Republican state legislator and two-time GOP congressional nominee John Swallow is not registered as a lobbyist.

But he sure seemed like a lobbyist to a group of Republican lawmakers he met with to talk about pending legislation to regulate the payday check cashing industry.

Swallow, an attorney, represented himself as corporate counsel for Check City, one of many corporations that make short-term loans at high interest rates. The industry has been under attack for allegedly gouging low-income people who find themselves desperate for cash.

Joining Swallow were industry officials and lobbyists who argued against possible legislation that would impose further regulations or limitations on the industry.

prolly@

sltrib.com