Ethics on a Deadline

[Legislative Sleaze] In the ongoing contest over which Utah legislator is more unethical--Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, or Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake City--it's looking like the calendar will win this one.

Rep. Todd Kiser, R-Sandy, and co-chairman of the House Ethics Committee, says he must follow a legislative rule and keep an upcoming hearing surrounding Hughes and Riesen closed to the public. Lawyers for Hughes and Riesen would like a court ruling to open the hearing, which was originally scheduled for later this week at the State Capitol. But both attorneys concede that cost and time are working against them.

The original charge in question focuses on an allegation that Hughes in 2006 offered then-Republican Rep. Susan Lawrence $50,000 to change her vote on the school vouchers bill from no to yes. Riesen got hold of documentation about the alleged bribe, and leaked the information to KSL-TV reporter John Daley last week. Now Hughes faces ethics charges for the alleged bribe. He's arguing Riesen breached legislative ethics rules and brought disrepute on the body (!!) by leaking the story to the media. Most Republican legislators, including House Speaker Greg Curtis, are painting the whole thing as an election season stunt orchestrated by Democrats.
While it's gratifying to see a little grease applied to the rusty spokes of legislative ethics in Utah, don't hold your breath waiting for an outcome. Hughes and several other Republicans who tried to force-feed vouchers on Utahns are locked in very competitive re-election battles this year. Kiser told The Salt Lake Tribune yesterday the task of getting to the bottom of this story will be terribly laborious:

"I think it could be a very long and drawn out committee meeting that lasts many days."

Translation (for those of us who didn't just tumble off the turnip truck):

"Uh, with only 29 days till the election we could really string this sucker out!"

(Holly Mullen)

No Ethics Violations Here, Move Along People

[Political Scandals] Rep. Mark Walker was not to be seen at this morning's House Ethics Committee meeting, where members gathered to determine whether enough evidence existed to pursue allegations of ethics violations against the 32-year-old Sandy Republican.

He must have been out somewhere nursing two arms that GOP leaders broke over the weekend.

That's because it turned out Walker abruptly resigned Sunday night, turning over a letter "explaining" his decision to House Speaker Greg Curtis. (The gist: his wife and family can no longer take the ugly turmoil and attacks others have brought upon him.) So, when the ethics panel convened at the state Capitol, ready to investigate allegations that Walker tried to bribe his GOP opponent for State Treasurer, Richard Ellis, into quitting the race, there was no longer anything to discuss. Committee Chairman Rep. Todd Kiser, a fellow Sandy Republican (Walker, Kiser, Curtis--all Repubs from Sandy--are you seeing a pattern here?), announced the lawmakers now lacked jurisdiction to pursue the case any further.

Criminal charges may be forthcoming; the case rests with the Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller, also a Republican.

The case boiled down to charges that Walker had offered Ellis a job and a substantial pay increase at the treasure's office if he would drop out before the GOP primary. Ellis, an assistant in the current treasure's office, held his ground. Then late last month, an e-mail surfaced backing up Ellis' claim about Walker's alleged bribe. The House Ethics Committee took up the matter--only the third time in 22 years the group has addressed such a violation.

I talked to Ellis, who beat Walker in the primary, after the 11-minute meeting was adjourned. "I'm suprised [at the outcome]," Ellis said. Ellis showed up with a stack of documents and other paperwork regarding his testimony--he apparently didn't get the resignation memo. "I was subpoenaed to be here today," he said. "Essentially I was prepared to discuss my affidavit with the committee, which is public record." Ellis said he'll stand by his account of events with his opponent, and is ready to testify in any criminal case, should it go that far. Meanwhile, he said, "I'll just pursue my election."

The Democrats on the committee, naturally, were not apprised of the sudden turn of events. "Pretty anti-climactic," is the way Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, described the morning.

Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake, has announced she won't seek resignation, having spent two terms as a lone voice in the wilderness on political ethics issues. She spoke with the freedom of a lame duck today.

"I'm disappointed," McGee said afterward. "It's a committee that's only met twice in all these years; I think it shows the emphasis this body puts on ethics. It's a different story out in the community. Members of the community who follow these issues, and they do, have told me they feel these matters are important. They want some accountability in this [legislature].

(Holly Mullen)