Libertarians like everybody, the saying goes. But while extolling the virtues
of free markets and individual liberties, Utah's Libertarian Party apparently
forgot to make sure its gubernatorial candidate of choice, Dub Richards,
wouldn't be quite so free with his individual liberty.

Earlier this year, Richards persuaded Libertarian Party leaders to pay his
$465 filing fee to enter the 2000 race for Utah governor. So it was quite
surprising when Richards showed up on state election literature as the
candidate for the Natural Law Party. Libertarians immediately filed a
grievance with Utah Lt. Gov. Olene

Walker, whose office studied the matter but concluded Richards could not be
disqualified because he was not in violation of Utah code, which allows
disqualification in three instances: the death of a candidate, a mental or
physical disability or discovery of improper filing.

Using the Libertarian Party's money to certify as a Natural Law candidate
is not improper, says State Election Office Director Amy Naccarato.

"It all comes down to political parties handling their own affairs without
government intervention," Naccarato said Wednesday. "We feel very strongly
that we should not get involved in the party process and that he did not file
improperly."

W. Andrew McCullough, the Libertarian Party candidate for attorney general,
disagrees. "We sent him down there to apply and he double-crossed us," said

McCullough, who has prepared a lawsuit demanding Richards be removed from the
November ballot and that Walker certify Douglas Jones of Salem and Barry Briggs
of Tooele as the party's candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.
The lawsuit had not been filed by Wednesday afternoon. "We don't think we
have any business or duty to supply the Natural Law Party with a candidate,"
McCullough said.

Richards, who ran for governor in 1996 under the now-defunct Independent
Party's banner, and his running mate, Ken Larson, a perennial candidate for
various offices, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

According to a draft of the lawsuit, when Richards paid his fee he declared
himself a candidate for several parties, which is legal. But Utah code
requires that only one party affiliation be listed on its election ballots.
Forced to choose, Richards certified as Natural Law, the party whose goal is
to "bring the light of science into politics."

At the Libertarian's May convention, "Richards refused to join, and started
espousing his personal philosophies which were totally at odds with the
Libertarian's basic belief in less government, lower taxes and more personal
freedom," according to McCullough and Jim Dexter, the Libertarian Party's
state chairman.

Party leaders scrambled to certify Jones and Briggs but were too late,
Naccarato said. McCullough's lawsuit does not name Richards. "He isn't the
one of interest to us here," McCullough said. "It's the lieutenant governor
who has our money, but what we really want is our candidates on the ballot."