New PAC aims to solicit money from Mormons for Republican Congressional candidates

[DeepModem Mom]

Mormon-Run PAC Aims to Broaden Its Reach
By: Kenneth P. Vogel
April 11, 2007

A new congressional campaign group could piggyback on Mitt Romney's apparent success in rounding up political cash from first-time Mormon contributors.

Neither the website nor filing papers for the Eagle Political Action Committee, or Eagle PAC, mentions Mormons. But those familiar with the PAC say one of the reasons Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), a Mormon, created it this year was to solicit money from Mormons for distribution to Republican congressional candidates.

That has never been tried before, said Cannon's congressional chief of staff, Joe Hunter, who registered the group as a leadership PAC with the Federal Election Commission on his own time.

The PAC will solicit funds from donors of all faiths who support small government, individual freedom and national security, Hunter stressed, adding that the concept predates Romney's bid for the Republican presidential nomination. But Hunter acknowledged the group could benefit from what campaign finance analysts say was the unprecedented ability of Romney, a Mormon who was the governor of Massachusetts, to tap Mormons on his way to raising a GOP-field-leading $21 million in the first three months of the year.

"The two were not connected, but I think the result is probably mutually beneficial," Hunter said. Though campaigns consider Mormons frequent -- and largely Republican -- voters and volunteers, Hunter conceded Mormons, who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not known as big donors....

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0407/3504.html