Iowa Hopefuls Saw $34K From Pawlenty At 2010 Close

ST. PAUL  (AP) -- Republican Tim Pawlenty dished out $34,000 to state-level candidates and conservative groups in Iowa during the final 2010 push.

A finance report from Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC-Iowa filed Wednesday showed him spreading money to statehouse candidates, including $7,000 to the representative who became the House speaker there.

Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, has been working hard to build a following in Iowa, the place with the first phase in the 2012 presidential nominating process. His late-election contributions to candidates and groups were double the amount made by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney during the same period.

Including travel, consultants and other costs, Pawlenty's Iowa PAC spent $110,000 from mid-October through December. He raised the money through four-and-five figure checks, mostly from Minnesota donors.

Romney spent about $108,000 and slightly outraised Pawlenty.

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