Posted on 07/21/2012 7:22:50 AM PDT by Colofornian
SALT LAKE CITY — A conservative activist charged with raping four women rubbed shoulders with some of Utah's most prominent Republican politicians and served as co-chairman of a 2007 fundraiser for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Many of them, including Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Gov. Gary Herbert and 4th Congressional District candidate Mia Love, have attended a barbecue Greg Peterson hosted what he called the Rocky Mountain Conservatives Conference at his lakeside cabin the past three years.
Peterson organized it as a "healing" event in 2010 after the contentious state GOP convention that ousted Sen. Bob Bennett and a nasty primary election between Tim Bridgewater and Lee.
Politicians eager to put those ugly scenes behind them and wanting to associate with what appeared to be a new tea party power base in Utah's GOP were drawn to the confab despite not really knowing Peterson.
"That's exactly what it was," said Hatch campaign manager Dave Hansen, who attended the first event as state Republican Party chairman.
Gregory Nathan Peterson, 37, of Orem, faces 23 felony and two misdemeanor charges in connection with the alleged rapes of four women. One of those attacks, according to investigators, happened at his cabin near Heber City just one day after last year's barbecue.
Response from the Romney campaign
On his Facebook page, Peterson claims to be good friends with the Romney family and that he attended Brigham Young University with Josh Romney, the presidential candidate's youngest son. He posted photos of himself with Mitt Romney and Josh Romney on Facebook.
A September 2, 2011, post reads, "Backstage w/Mitt in Boston before a big event. I have worked for and with Mitt Romney outside of politics for years. Great leader."
Peterson is listed as co-chairman on an invitation for a Romney fundraising breakfast at the former Salt Lake Olympic leader's one-time Deer Valley home in 2007. Peterson also made a $2,300 donation to Romney's presidential campaign at that time, Federal Election Commission records show.
“We are appalled at this situation. He hasn't been associated with our campaign since 2007 and you can believe he won't be going forward," the Romney campaign said Thursday.
Response Utah's political leaders
In local Republican circles, Peterson apparently played the role of a wealthy conservative politico who claimed to have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for GOP candidates. Utah politicians described him as talking a good game but not delivering.
"He wanted people to think he was bigger than he really was," said former state Rep. Carl Wimmer, who attended the conferences in 2010 and 2011.
"There has always been a consistent pattern with Mr. Peterson. He takes credit for things he has not done. He overblows his accomplishments quite dramatically."
Utah tea party leader and former gubernatorial candidate David Kirkham described Peterson as "exuberant" in his political opinions. Peterson wrote a blog called the Conservative Moose and was prolific on Facebook.
"He was kind of a familiar face to many people," Kirkham said.
Wimmer said Peterson tried to give the impression he was rich, but "I don't believe he was or is."
Peterson says he is a certified financial planner and owns an Orem-based wealth management company and an online trading website. He said on Facebook that he has an MBA in finance from BYU.
Wimmer said Peterson offered to co-host a fundraiser for him and represented that he had raised lots of money for political candidates.
"I don’t think he ever raised a dime for anybody," said Wimmer, whose 4th Congressional District campaign ended at the state GOP convention in April.
Peterson billed this past May's conference as "the CPAC of the West," a reference to the national Conservative Political Action Committee that draws thousands of activists to Washington, D.C., each year. The agenda included GOP attorney general candidates John Swallow and Sean Reyes in a Lincoln/Douglas-style debate at Wasatch High School. A barbecue featuring wild elk and a golf- into-the-lake contest followed at the cabin.
Wimmer didn't attend this year because he said he did not want to associate with Peterson after hearing rumblings within the Republican Party regarding possible criminal charges against Peterson. Also, he said his wife told him she felt uncomfortable around Peterson.
Hatch didn't go to the barbecue this year, either. Hansen said it turned into an anti-Hatch event starting in 2011 with a straw poll pitting the senator against Chaffetz, who was considering a run at Hatch. Chaffetz won the straw poll. This year, the conference featured a leader from the national tea party organization FreedomWorks, which campaigned heavily against Hatch.
Utah officeholders Thursday were distancing themselves from Peterson. Some of them appear in photos with him that are posted on various websites.
Herbert campaign spokesman Marty Carpenter said the governor has his picture taken with thousands of people at hundreds of events every year.
"Mr. Peterson has no formal affiliation with the governor's campaign, nor has he ever. In fact, the governor declined Mr. Peterson's invitation (to the event) this past spring," he said.
Lee attended the 2011 conference because of other people who were there, not because of Peterson, said his spokesman Brian Phillips.
"The notion that he was a Mike Lee guy is inaccurate," he said. "My boss certainly didn't have a personal relationship with him at all."
Hansen said Hatch wouldn't know Peterson if he walked by him.
Love's campaign declined to comment.
Utah Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis said he hopes Republicans would denounce the alleged sexual assaults and ban Peterson from future GOP activities.
In addition to Romney, Peterson posted on Facebook pictures of himself with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint.
Besides hosting his own events, Peterson showed up at other political gatherings but apparently didn't work on anyone's campaign, Kirkham said.
"He was here and he was there," he said. "He was kind of off in his own world."
Pray for the Mormon women who were Greg Peterson's victims -- and please think of them first. (Click on the link in the sixth paragraph for more info on those Mormon victims -- and how he tended to meet them)
From that Lds-church owned KSL link: A GOP activist who prosecutors say kidnapped and raped women that he met online and at CHURCH functions has been arrested and charged with 23 felonies. He appears to have targeted mostly LDS young adult women. Gregory Nathan Peterson, 37, of Orem, was charged Wednesday with seven counts of rape, three counts of object rape, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, nine counts of forcible sexual abuse, forcible sodomy, assault, burglary and sexual battery. Peterson is a GOP activist who held political events at his cabin in Heber City, 10160 E. Ridge Pine Drive, the same place where prosecutors allege he took at least two of his victims after kidnapping them and then raped them. One of those attacks, according to investigators, happened just one day after a political event...Investigators have identified at least four victims dating back to March of 2011. Peterson met three of the victims on an online dating site and another at a CHURCH function, according to the charges. Prosecutors would not say Thursday which online dating services Peterson used. However, he had profiles on at least two online dating sites, LDSSingles.com and LDSLinkup.com. His last activity on LDSSingles.com was Wednesday before he was arrested. On his dating profile, in which he used the profile name, "oddsrgoodbutgoodsrodd," Peterson stated that he had a LDS temple recommend and served an mission to Venezuela and also noted in his profile that he "regularly attends church."
Is that the BEST that any of you delusional, HATE Mitt and Mormons, Paul-Bots can come up with to try and impugn, denigrate, and attempt to tie Romney (via "guilt by association") to this scumbag?
Wassamatter, are the 100+ year old words spoken by Joseph Smith and the 155 year old "Meadows Mountain Massacre" not "resounding" among those who KNOW the DOZENS of "Documented" association (he who y'all want to see reeleted) Dear Leader has (and continues to have) associations?
Can't any of your at least come up with anything "current" which shows (through words deeds or history) Mittens' obvious HATRED toward the United States and a single-minded dedication/intent to HARM if not DESTROY America, as we can of B. Hussein Obama?
Any Terrorist pals in Mitt's past such Ayers and Dorhn?
Any convicted felons such as Blago or Rezko?
Any members or supporters of Islamic Jihadd or Muslim Brothehood such as the many, Barry has recruited to be his advisers?
Nice try and don't give up as I'm sure you can convince at least 2 or 3 Freepers to stay home or vote 3rd party.
The rest of us "REAL" Conservative "PATRIOTS" (Especially those of us who have served and served in Harms Way) will not be disuaded from doing everything in our power to deny Dear Leader a 2nd term, such as we KNOW how dangerous and a threat he is to our Republics Security and SURVIVAL!
#1...I didn't write this article or headline -- the Mormon church owned & operated KSL.com did! (If you don't like the content, write them!)
#2...How long has it been your policy -- as a first impulse -- to side with accused rapists?
(We all see how delusional your defense of Romney is...that you'll even go to bat for an accused rapist!)
Please keep on the straight and narrow with this ~ people who don't like Mitt frequently don't care one way or the other about Mormonism. He's quite dislikable all on his own merits!
Loved the way you tripped this guy up on the KSL aspect. So, what does that tell us about what kind of Mormon he really is when he glosses right over the approved news version?
(Does the Lds church even peg journalist fetchlings serving Romney as "Romboy?")
Gawd, you guys - - has either of you dyed your hair orange?
(This question from a poster who just asked on another thread if sexual molestation means actual "victims" were involved...Gortklattu's actual comment: "touched = a victim?")
See for yourself the comment and context here:
Former BYU student charged with sex abuse (see post #4)
Please keep on the straight and narrow with this ~ people who don't like Mitt frequently don't care one way or the other about Mormonism. He's quite dislikable all on his own merits!
Not so!
If you have been paying attention at the back and forth going on here as to the handful who suffer from MDS (Mitt Derangement Syndrome) and their virulent Hatred for him, often times try and paint him (through his association and being a Mormon) with despicable/looney/strange behavior of the Mormon Church, crazy saying by John Smith or the most oft used "excuse" as to why Romney should not be considered and that being Mormons are "Not Christians."
Of course, these same individuals NEVER have anything to say when it comes to the many articles which links Dear Leader to Islamist/Muslim Brotherhood and how much more dangerous he/it is to our Security/Survival and give B. Hussein a complete pass thereon.
They always from their opposition bases solely on "Social Issues" and NEVER about National Security which IMHO trumps all else.
These are two totally different topics.
Regarding Mitt's concern for national defense needs, he should have served. These pure civilian types who never served and aren't related to anybody who ever served ~ I don't think he even has a daughter in law who served ~ can go both ways so easily. Not that I distrust him on the issue, but I doubt he's as genuine as you think.
Regarding Obama, he’s a loser so why are you so engaged with what he’s up to. He’ll be out of there ~ if we have a candidate who is a trustworthy guy who knows how to be a winner once he’s in office.
Really?
This is the best you can come up with rants.
Since you clam to be a real conservative, why again are you such an apparent rabid Romney supporter? He is not a conservative.
You disparage others from the “guilt by association”, then go on to list BHO associations as making him guilty. Why?
You claim that people who are apposed to Romney’s liberalism as hating him, there is no evidence of that hate. Why is exposing his record hate, you expose BHO’s record and call that patriotism.
mormonism is not Christianity, why are you insisting it is? When given point by point explanations of why it is not, you scream mormon hater rather than explain why you disagree. Why is that?
It appears that your obamahysteria has over come you, and your lack of knowledge and unwillingness to learn of mormonism has made you a rabid defender of something you know nothing about.
How sad for you.
Well said!
Also, by implication, linking "Inmans" to terrorism or terroristic tactics. What's next, calling us nazis?
Well, we are trying to link Romney to the teachings of "John Smith", whoever he is.
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