Former Legislator Tilton Admits Being Behind Deceptive Phone Calls
By Robert Gehrke
Salt Lake Tribune
A former state legislator and health insurance lobbyist were behind an autodial call to Republican delegates in Utah County, accusing Rep. Francis Gibson of supporting “Obama-like health care mandates.”
Former Rep. Aaron Tilton, who Gibson beat at the party’s convention two years ago, sent a letter to delegates this week, admitting he helped organize the call, which purported to be backed by the Utah Health Insurance Association, even though the association had nothing to do with the call.
At the same time, Tilton again castigated Gibson for supporting health care mandates — specifically his support for a bill that would require health insurance companies to cover prosthetic limbs — demanding Gibson explain his vote.
Tilton said a member of the Utah Health Insurance Association had signed off on the call, but because of a miscommunication, the call indicated it had the full backing of UHIA. Jeff Hartley, a lobbyist for American Health Insurance Plans, approved the autodial, although AHIP is not a member of the Utah Health Insurance Association.
Kelly Atkinson, executive director of the Utah Health Insurance Association, has filed a complaint with the Lieutenant Governor’s and Attorney General’s offices and says the complaint should still be pursued, despite the admissions.
“[Hartley] is not in any way shape or form associated with UHIA. He doesn’t speak for UHIA,” Atkinson said. “The whole process is bothersome to us because it takes a legitimate organization and uses it against a legislator without our authority. It’s wrong. It’s not just wrong, it’s criminal. The law is clear on this.”
Under Utah law, the unauthorized use of an organization’s name for campaign activities is a Class B misdemeanor.
The Attorney General’s Office is still reviewing the complaint to decide if it should be investigated by the attorney general or the Utah County attorney, and the case remains open, said Paul Murphy, a spokesman for the attorney general.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Office is also investigating whether any campaign finance rules were broken, said Mark Thomas, office administrator for Lt. Gov. Greg Bell.
The auto-dial call informed delegates that, “Francis Gibson, your state representative in the Utah Legislature, supported Obama-like health care mandates.”
“Mister Gibson voted for a health care mandate and stated publicly during debate that it would raise health care premiums and provide more money to his business as a medical provider,” it said.
Gibson is an administrator for outpatient-surgery centers.
Tilton said voters should know how Gibson represents them. He said he regrets the “screw-up” that led to UHIA being identified as the source behind the call because now Gibson can dodge the issue by claiming dirty politics.
Hartley said members of the insurance industry still might make Gibson’s vote for the prosthetic mandate an issue in his election. “Voters have the right to know who’s supporting health care mandates and why,” Hartley said.