Hard as it may be to believe, things may be looking up a bit for Nancy Workman.

The beleaguered Salt Lake County mayor may get some traction in her claim that District Attorney David Yocom was out to get her by an affidavit, filed in 3rd District Court Tuesday, that Yocom threatened in 2003 to do exactly that.

Plus, a new poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates for the Salt Lake County Republican Party shows the number of voters supporting Workman has almost doubled from a few weeks ago.

A poll conducted by the same firm for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV Sept. 6-9 showed Workman's support at an anemic 12 percent. The new poll puts her at 23 percent, with Democrat Peter Corroon and independent Merrill Cook virtually unchanged at 42 percent and 21 percent. (The voters going to Workman came from the sizable pool of undecideds.)

"Obviously they're not numbers that will win the election, (but) we're relieved we're not where we were," campaign manager Chris Bleak said. "I hope that people are starting to see the whole picture and scenario, including her record from the past four years."

And it was probably only a matter of time before Yocom's alleged threat against Workman would wind up in her court proceeding.

In papers filed Tuesday supporting Workman's motion to dismiss the charges that she misused public money, Acting Mayor Alan Dayton states that Yocom threatened to ruin the mayor solely by initiating an investigation.

After a contentious County Council meeting in February 2003, Dayton says Yocom told him, "I can get her."

"On what?" Dayton asked.

"It doesn't matter," Yocom replied. "A mere investigation can ruin someone. I've seen it happen before."

The court papers include affidavits by Councilman Russell Skousen and ZAP program manager Kristie Marshall confirming Dayton told them of the exchange at the time.

In a story published in the Deseret Morning News last July, Yocom denied that any such encounter took place.

"I never made any threats like that," he said. "I've been 40 years in the business, and I know better than to do things like that. . . . I've never had to threaten anyone in my life. I'm surprised he would say anything so outrageous."

Workman's attorney, Greg Skordas, uses the alleged encounter to contend that "the substantive issues of this case — that is, whether or not Mayor Workman has committed a crime — have been entirely lost in the political and personal pursuit of her by the district attorney and his new deputy," Mike Martinez, who is handling the case.

As for Martinez, he characterizes it all as smokescreen.

"I don't think I've ever been involved in a litigation where people have been so vindictive," he said. "What does (Yocom's threat) have to do with anything?"