Pawlenty Raises $160K In Early Phase Of 2012 Chase

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Tim Pawlenty's start-up committee for the Republican presidential nomination pulled in $160,000 over its first 10 days.

A report on early fundraising by Pawlenty's exploratory committee was filed with federal regulators Friday. The former Minnesota governor opened the committee on March 21.

His advisers told donors early on to wait until April 1 to write their checks so he could make a splash in July with a first full quarter of fundraising activity. But many of Pawlenty's longtime contributors and some of the advisers themselves fed the account anyway.

Pawlenty spent about $43,000 during the early days on consultants, travel, supplies and office rent. It left him with more than $116,000 going forward.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney opened his White House exploratory committee this week.

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