In closing out his gubernatorial campaign fund, Gov. Tim Pawlenty will earn a little goodwill -- and perhaps future favors -- by raining $574,000 on political organizations and nonprofit charities across the state.

The biggest chunk by far, $204,000, will go to the state Republican Party, followed by state Republican House and Senate campaign committees, which will get $40,000 apiece.

Pawlenty also will divide nearly $290,000 among 10 charities that benefit addicted teens, military families, the disabled, cancer patients and the nonprofit foundation of a longtime Republican benefactor and fundraiser.

Pawlenty is phasing out his campaign fund as he prepares to step down from office in 2010.

While Pawlenty is prohibited by law from using that money to fund a possible run for president, it appears the state Republican Party could help pay for Pawlenty's travels around the country to build party unity and support GOP candidates. So far, the governor has relied on other Republican organizations to pay for such trips, which have raised his profile and given him an opportunity to assess a presidential bid.

State law is "pretty broad" in how state party units can spend money, said Jeff Sigurdson, assistant executive director of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. It includes expenses "that are reasonably related to the conduct of election campaigns."

Sigurdson said there is no apparent prohibition on spending the money on travel outside Minnesota.

State Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton said there is no plan to help pay for Pawlenty's trips outside Minnesota, which Sutton said would not directly benefit the state party. "We wouldn't be doing it," he said.

However, Sutton added that the party might reimburse Pawlenty for expenses incurred if he campaigned for a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate or other state Republicans in 2010.

Cash for charities

Pawlenty gave slightly more money-- $290,892 in total -- to nonprofits than he did to his party. Minnesota Teen Challenge, a drug treatment program with a Christian bent, got the single biggest boost, with an $85,892 donation from Pawlenty.

Other beneficiaries include Helping Paws, which provides service dogs to the disabled, and the Minnesota Military Family Foundation, a Golden Valley-based group that aids families of deployed soldiers.

"We tried to focus on things that had a statewide impact and were focused on humanitarian causes," Pawlenty said.

Among Pawlenty's chosen charities: the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which provides hearing aids to those in need. The foundation was created by William Austin, a major Republican donor who has given money to some of Minnesota's biggest Republican names, including former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, former Congressman Mark Kennedy and U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen.

That Pawlenty, a possible 2012 presidential contender, was able to bestow such large sums to nonprofit organizations is thanks to a former Democratic state senator.

Former DFL Sen. Wes Skoglund had tried to give his leftover campaign cash to charity in 2006 after deciding not to run again, only to run up against a law that stopped him from doing so.

"It is a way we thought that we could help," Skoglund said.

With the help of his former colleagues and volunteer work from students at Minneapolis' South High, Skoglund did just that. Last year, Pawlenty signed a law that allows state politicians who are terminating their political committees to give an unlimited amount of money to nonprofits.

State politicians closing down their campaign committees can also give unlimited cash to political party groups and more limited donations to state political candidates. Pawlenty chose not to do the latter.

Rachel Stassen-Berger • 651-292-0164 Patrick Doyle • 651-222-1210