More PAC-funded billboards raised for SLC mayoral candidates

More PAC-funded billboards raised for SLC mayoral candidates

(Tom Smart/Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — The same political action committee that independently funded billboards to support Jackie Biskupski's bid for mayor has now also raised billboards to support Mayor Ralph Becker's three other opponents.

Billboards for Salt Lake City Councilman Luke Garrott, Dave Robinson and George Chapman popped up around Salt Lake City last week. The PAC, Utahns for Independent Government, is led by the owners of the billboard company Reagan Outdoor Advertising and is not subject to Salt Lake City's mayoral campaign contribution limits of $7,500 because it's not making direct donations to the candidates.

While Robinson and Chapman have voiced no opposition to the billboards, Garrott is demanding the PAC and its leaders take down the billboards.

"I was shocked and then outraged," said Garrott, who has limited his campaign's cash contributions to $1,000 per person or business. "I am disgusted with how Reagan has used this PAC to circumvent the spirit of our campaign contribution limits, but unlike (Biskupski), I'm not going to let big money continue to get their way."

A billboard supporting Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Luke Garrott is displayed along 600 North, east of I-15, July 27, 2015, in Salt Lake City. Reagan Advertising, a billboard company, has used a PAC to funnel more money to defeat incumbent Ralph Becker in the mayor's race, and Garrott is demanding the company stop independent donations to his campaign (Photo: Tom Smart, Deseret News)
A billboard supporting Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Luke Garrott is displayed along 600 North, east of I-15, July 27, 2015, in Salt Lake City. Reagan Advertising, a billboard company, has used a PAC to funnel more money to defeat incumbent Ralph Becker in the mayor's race, and Garrott is demanding the company stop independent donations to his campaign (Photo: Tom Smart, Deseret News)

Garrott said if the PAC's leaders they don't stop using his name and image, he'll "look into legal action."

Nate Sechrest, the PAC's treasurer and general counsel of Reagan Outdoor Advertising, said Utahns for Independent Government doesn't intend to take any of the billboards down.

"We didn't coordinate with anybody for putting them up, and we're not going to coordinate with anyone on taking them down because we want to stay very clear on where the legal line is," Sechrest said. "We're doing this because this is something that we think is important, and it's a message we think is important to get out."

Sechrest said the PAC's goal is to advocate a change of leadership from Becker, acknowledging Reagan Advertising's history of conflict with the two-term mayor. He said the purpose of the billboards is not to endorse any one candidate, but instead to educate the public that they have a choice.

While at least 15 billboards for Biskupski's campaign popped up earlier this month, the signs advertising the other candidates emerged last week. Sechrest said the other billboards, which he noted are distributed equally per candidate, were funded after the PAC's leaders had a chance to listen to the other candidates during debates and determine that they were "good, qualified candidates."

"We're just trying to do a public service," Sechrest said. "There's four really good non-incumbent candidates, and we wanted to make sure everybody knew they had options."

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Becker has openly decried the billboards, deeming them a way to avoid campaign contribution limit laws and to fuel money-driven politics.

"This type of unlimited corporate money, with a single special interest, infiltrating our local elections is bad for our city and bad for our democracy," said Laura Anderson, Becker's campaign manager.

But Sechrest said the billboards do not resemble money-driven politics.

"This is us exercising our right to spread a message," Sechrest said.

Robinson called the PAC's effort "great," saying it's helping inform the public on the mayoral race.

"I believe these PACs are a way for the little person to get the word out," he said. "The more informed people are, the better decisions they'll make."

Chapman said he's "grateful" to the PAC for publicizing the race. But he also said the billboards have "taken a life of their own" and are detracting from real issues that matter for Salt Lake City, from the need for more police, to lack of mass transit.

"These are the issues we should be talking about, and it's concerning to me to hear billboards are front and center," he said.

Biksupski's campaign did not respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon.

The primary election is Aug. 11.

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Katie McKellar

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