Idaho Gov. Otter revs up fundraising

OTTER’S CONTRIBUTORS

$5,000 AND ABOVE

Farmers Employees and Agents Political Action Committee, $5,800; CenturyLink Idaho PAC, $5,000; Coeur d'Alene Tribe, $5,000; Forest Capital Partners, $5,000; Ground Force Manufacturing, $5,000; Idaho Forest Group, $5,000; Idaho Power, $5,000; M3 Companies, which is developing in the Eagle foothills, $5,000; LifeNexus, a Colorado-based medical records company, $5,000; Potlatch, $5,000; Stimson Lumber Co., $5,000.

$1,000 TO $4,999

Idaho Dairymen’s Association, $3,500; Rocky Mountain Power, $3,000; Idaho Land Fund, controlled by Albertson heir Joe Scott, $2,500; Idaho Credit Union League, $2,500; Midas Gold, $2,500; Idaho Beer & Wine Distributors, $2,500; John Deere PAC, $2,000; Red Rock Allied of Rigby, $2,000; Coeur d’Alene Mines, $1,400 ($1,000 from former CEO Dennis Wheeler and $400 from the company); Altria, a tobacco and wine company, $1,000; Anheuser-Busch, $1,000; AT&T, $1,000; 3M Traffic Controls, $1,000; Dow Agrosciences, $1,000; Empire Airlines, $1,000; Dan Goicoechea, a lobbyist for Paris Hills Agricom, operator of an Idaho phosphate; Hecla Mining Co., $1,000; Twin Lakes Canal Co., $1,000.

BELOW $1,000

Bennett Lumber Products, $500; Clearwater Paper, $500; Corrections Corporation of America, which runs Idaho’s private prison, $500; Rite Stuff Foods, $500; Lake City Ford, $400; Idaho Sugarbeet Growers PAC, $250, Community Bank, $200; Idaho Wheat & Barley PAC, $200.

Gov. Butch Otter raised almost $125,000 in the last half of 2011, about 70 percent of it from corporations doing business with the state or lobbying state officials.

After paying down a loan Otter made to his winning 2010 re-election campaign, he is still owed $156,000.

At a December fundraiser, Otter said he will seek a third term in 2014. Most of the contributions were designated for the 2014 general election. Otter filed his Sunshine Report for July to December late Tuesday.

Otter collected $124,941, well ahead of the $48,103 he raised in the first six months of 2011. His cash balance is up from $10,044 to $56,177.

Dan Popkey: 377-6438