Panel to screen possible charges against Workman

Salt Lake County District Attorney David Yocom has established a panel of independent attorneys to screen possible criminal charges against Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman.

Yocom has asked his counterparts, the district attorneys of Utah, Summit, Davis and Weber counties, to review evidence gathered by his investigators and decide whether to charge Workman with regard to her hiring of two employees to work at the South Valley Boys and Girls Club under the supervision of her daughter, Aisza.

"Obviously there's a possible conflict of interest involved in prosecuting the mayor, who's your chief executive officer, when you're an executive officer in the same county," Yocom, a Democrat, said Monday.

Yocom said the investigation, which began three weeks ago, will likely wrap up by the end of this week or the early part of next week, at which time the panel will meet and make its decision on whether to charge Workman.

The district attorney has not yet interviewed Workman herself as part of the investigation. Depending on the investigation's outcome, she could be charged with felony misuse of public monies or other crimes.

Workman has declined comment regarding details of the matter on the advice of criminal defense attorney Ron Yengich, but she maintains the investigation is "politics at its worst." Workman supporters say Yocom is trying to smear the mayor during an election year simply by initiating an investigation, which they say is enough for many people to assume she's guilty of crimes.

Salt Lake County Council vice chairman Russell Skousen, like Workman a Republican, acknowledged Workman may not have followed proper procedure in the hiring. Nevertheless, "It's pure politics. (Yocom) has got a personal grudge against the mayor, and he's not afraid to hide it. . . . There are a lot of things that don't smell right" with regard to how the investigation is being conducted.

While applauding Yocom's convening of an independent review panel, Skousen said the district attorney also needs to let go of the investigation phase.

Skousen said investigators may have browbeaten Aisza Workman, threatening her when she refused to comment without an attorney present. He also faulted Yocom for the timing: Investigators began interviews with Aisza Workman and others two days before her wedding last Friday.

Yocom maintains the timing was sheer coincidence.

"I don't do criminal prosecutions just to spoil people's weddings," he said.