Pawlenty picks his presidential money hunters

Published 11:39 am Monday, March 28, 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A mix of old Minnesota hands and well-connected Republican fundraisers elsewhere will lead former Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s hunt for money toward a near-certain presidential run.

Pawlenty was informing supporters Monday of his finance team, which is tasked with amassing many millions of dollars if Pawlenty is to wage a competitive campaign. Last week, Pawlenty formed an exploratory committee that enables him to start stocking up for a White House run.

The team will be headed by Brian Haley, who was the lead fundraiser for the Freedom First committee Pawlenty used for more than a year to pay for travel and other pre-campaign efforts. Others have ties to his past Minnesota campaigns. Some previously worked for potential rival GOP Mitt Romney, the Bush family and 2008 Republican nominee John McCain.