This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 3:12 PM- WASHINGTON - A Texas nonprofit lawyer and supporter of Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney complained to Brigham Young University that it may have violated the law when two professors in their official capacity sought supporters and volunteers for Romney's expected presidential campaign.
Alan Gluth, president of the El Paso, Texas, chapter of the BYU Marriott School of Management alumni association, objected to an e- mail sent from the school's dean and associate dean trying to assemble a network of Mormon supporters by using the nonprofit alumni group, according to documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune.
"First, let me point out that, on a personal basis, I'm a strong supporter of Mitt Romney and would love to see him run for President in 2008," Gluth wrote in an e-mail to four members of the BYU general counsel office.
"Notwithstanding my personal political approval of the e-mail below, the e-mail does trouble me somewhat from an exempt organization legal standpoint."
He went on to say that the e-mail sent by the Ned Hill, dean of the management school, and associate dean Steve Albrecht "appears to violate the political activity rules" under U.S. tax code and other regulations.
"I'm sure that the e-mail was sent innocently, but I felt that it would be appropriate for me to bring it to your attention," Gluth continued. "I would hate for some political action group to obtain the e-mail and throw this matter into a public forum, which, in turn, could cast the university in a bad light in certain political circles."
The BYU e-mail was sent shortly after a consultant for Romney discussed in an e-mail how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a point man to coordinate efforts between Romney and the church, and that church leaders were aware of the "Mutual Values and Priorities" program.
The consultant, as first reported in The Boston Globe, said a church authority suggested using the BYU business alumni association to set up the Mormon network.
The church has strongly denied any coordination with Romney and says it is politically neutral. And Romney's spokesman says the consultant went over the top in e-mails he sent to the chief officer of Deseret Book, the same e-mails reported by the Globe.
Gluth, a Republican, confirmed Monday he sent the complaint to BYU officials because he thought it was wrong of the nonprofit to be used for political activity.
"It did concern me," Gluth said from his El Paso office. "And if you have a copy of the e-mail, that reflects my concerns in some detail and I thought it was appropriate to bring it to the attention of the parties at BYU, the general counsel's office."
Asked if he feels satisfied with the response from BYU, Gluth said he received an acknowledgement of the complaint but heard nothing else from school officials.
"I would like to think that BYU has now informed and educated all of its department heads and other officials regarding the basic political restrictions applicable to the university and its related entities" under IRS rules, Gluth said.
The original e-mail sent by Hill and Albrecht went to some 50 members of the Management Society and 100 members of school's National Advisory Committee.
"We are writing to you as a friend to see if you have any interest in helping Governor Romney by volunteering to serve as a community or neighborhood chair," the e-mail said. "Governor Romney's chances for success are significantly enhanced and energized by people, such as you, who are willing to help him at the grass-roots level throughout the United States."
While the action of sending out an email may be minor, it does breach IRS rules about political activity. A spokesman for the IRS said Monday the agency cannot confirm or deny any investigation or audit.
The BYU General Counsel Office and Hill's secretary referred all calls to school spokeswoman Carri Jenkins, who on Monday reiterated that the school didn't know about the original e-mail from Hill and Albrecht but the university put a stop to it immediately after hearing about it.
Jenkins said the school is politically neutral and does not support any candidates. She added that the school has not been contacted by the IRS.
On Sunday, Romney's longtime friend and Utah developer Kem Gardner took the blame for what he said were "innocent" discussions that were exaggerated by the consultant, Don Stirling, in e-mails to Deseret Book chief Sheri Dew. As of Monday afternoon, Stirling had not returned phone calls seeking comment.
"We know Mitt can't use the church," Gardner said. "Nobody wants a Mormon presidential campaign. It would kill us with the evangelical groups."
So far, the story about Romney's advisers and the LDS Church apparently hasn't penetrated the voters he's been courting over the last year in exploring a presidential bid. If Romney decides to run for president, observers say his biggest hurdle will convince evangelical Christians - the core of the Republican base - that his Mormon beliefs are not out of the mainstream.
Rick Beltram, a Presbyterian and chairman of the Spartanburg County Republican Party in South Carolina , a community Romney has visited four times, said he read about the controversy in the Globe but that it hasn't appeared in any of the local press.
"I don't think it got any traction down here," Beltram said. "At this point in time, particularly in South Carolina, we are paying attention to the last two weeks of our campaign here. It's kind of like running a story on July 4th. People aren't really paying attention."
Beltram added that he didn't see the story the same as the Globe's reporters. "I saw through that like transparent paper."
Rich Hanley, director of the graduate program at the Quinnipiac University School of Communications, said there's no question the story right now will fall into the "fog."
"This is just going to be one more bit of info that people are going to ignore," he said.
But later in the campaign, if Romney decides to run and becomes a threat, the news will come out again, Hanley said.
"Opponents to Romney can just sit on it and wait to the appropriate moment of the '08 campaign and let it out," Hanley said. "That of course raises questions about Romney and his association with the Mormon church."
Even if the controversy is really about an overzealous campaign consultant and the church wasn't involved in boosting Romney, Hanley said, perception is reality in politics.
"In reality is this isn't a big deal," he said. "It's just that in this case, because of the candidate's intention to separate himself from the church, this brings him back to the church."