Utahn steps down from diplomatic position

WASHINGTON — With little fanfare and no explanation, Utahn John Price earlier this summer resigned his ambassadorship to the tiny African island nations of Mauritius, Seychelles and the Union of Comoros.

The resignation was not announced by the State Department, which still lists Price as the ambassador on its Web site.

Price, along with his wife, Marcia, made the announcement June 16 to local dignitaries and press in Mauritius, stating "unfortunately my assignment has now come to an end," according to a transcript of a speech posted by the U.S. embassy in Mauritius.

Price told Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, that he felt it was time to come back to Utah and that no single factor prompted the decision.

"I will remember with great fondness the white sand beaches, azure blue waters, the lush landscape and above all the bright smiles of Mauritians," Price said during his resignation announcement. "God has bestowed on Mauritius many great gifts. I am not referring only to the beautiful pictures you see on the post cards here. The truest gift of Mauritius is in its people, its culture, its pride and its achievements."

Price was sworn in as ambassador to the three nations on Feb. 8, 2002. "John Price is a proven business leader and committed member of his community. He will be an outstanding representative of the United States in the Republic of Mauritius," President Bush said at the time.

But the ambassadorship got off to a rocky start when Price missed the swearing in ceremony for the new president of Mauritius, prompting criticism in the media, which also targeted Price for court rulings against his development business and for using campaign contributions to buy the ambassadorship.

On that latter point, Price was highlighted in a recent study by the Center for Responsive Politics, which pointed out that of the ambassadors appointed by Bush, Price gave the second most money — $120,000 — to Bush, and also gave the fifth most — $585,181 — to Republicans overall among that group.

The study listed 43 heavy donors who it says were rewarded with ambassadorships.

The report said Price, one of the nation's largest developers of shopping malls, including the Cottonwood Mall, is "one of those rare donors who appears to have shared his wealth with the Bush campaign and the Republican Party at every opportunity during the 1999-2000 election cycle" when Bush was first elected.

Beyond that amount, Price had told the Morning News in 2000 that he had raised $1.3 million for Bush from other donors.

In true diplomatic fashion, Price left his post praising his host countries for their commitments to free economies and democracy.