Deadbeat: Newt’s Utah Primary Check Bounces

By Gary P Jackson

While Newt was running around Tuesday saying he had Mitt Romney “right where he wanted him” [after news came that Rick Santorum was dropping out] another big story broke. It seems the $500 check Newt sent to Utah, the filing fee, bounced. This could disqualify Newt from the primary, if not taken care of in a timely manner.

Newt’s campaign is nearly $4.5 million in debt, and now he’s writing hot checks. He has no money to campaign. And yet, he still thinks he has a viable path to the nomination? Really?

From ABC News:

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich may not appear on the ballot for the June 26 Utah primary, after a $500 check — the required filing fee — bounced, an official said.

State election director Mark Thomas told ABC News that a $500 check given by the Gingrich campaign to secure his place on the Utah ballot bounced on March 27.

“Our office immediately attempted to contact the campaign and the designated agent but no phone calls were returned,” Thomas said. “We also asked the state Republican Party to assist us, but they also could not get into communication with them, although I do not know how they attempted to contact them.”

One source close to the campaign told ABC News that the Gingrich campaign recently changed finance and accounting staff. The designated agent who filed the paperwork for the campaign was Wallace Woodruff “Woody” Hales, though Hales still works for the Gingrich campaign.

If the fee is not paid by April 20, Gingrich will be disqualified from the ballot.

“Our office certifies the candidates to the county clerks on April 24,” Thomas said.

The check bounce comes as no surprise as Gingrich confirmed a debt of almost $4.5 million to ABC News on Tuesday. The last Federal Election Commission report from February showed a debt of less than $2 million.

Read more here.

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