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Andrew Adams and AP reportingUtah's attorney general is speaking out about some contributions to his campaign for re-election. He says he's getting a bad rap for accepting money from payday lenders.
The Deseret News, in a copyright story, says Shurtleff has raised $161,000 as he seeks re-election to a third term, and about 25 percent of the campaign donations came from payday lenders.
But Shurtleff tells KSL Newsradio over an election cycle, that's nowhere close to true. "I just wish people would look beyond the easy attack headline and try to understand the industry and why, you know, I would come out and say this is a free market," he said.
Shurtleff is on record supporting the industry, saying it would be "immoral" not to give people an opportunity to get quick loans. He says he believes contributions to his campaign are an indicator companies and people support what he's done in office, not necessarily that he has supported them.
(The Deseret News and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
