Lockhart says she doesn't know who that donor was, nor the ultimate cost of the welding work and materials.

While Johnson didn't name the donor in his audit, he told me it was Don L. Ipson, the citizen chairman of the Utah College of Applied Technology, the group that oversees all of the state's applied technology colleges, including MATC.

"There is nothing wrong with Mr. Ipson as a private citizen paying for this," says Johnson. "What is curious is the timing of all of this" — who was offering to pay when. "And why would Mr. Christensen inappropriately try to force this payment (for the work) through the college's financial payment system. It doesn't make sense."

Well, maybe it makes a little more sense when "friends" are trying to do favors for "friends."

Everything seemed good in all of this — until someone squealed to the state and an investigation was started.

Johnson issued his audit of MATC this week, with the GOP float one of only several problems found.

In fact, the audit says that state laws were likely broken in the float affair because no state operations can be used to aid partisan politics — which was apparently what happened here.

Worse for Christensen, the audit says he purposely hid various billing operations so they wouldn't be tied to the float and the Utah County Republican Party.

It is up to the state Board of Regents what happens to Christensen, who in a written response to the audit apologized and said he'd follow all internal rules in the future.

But the audit points out that — whether intended by Bramble or Lockhart or not (they say not) — Christensen may well have felt pressure to help out the powerful legislators.

"It certainly brings up the question of whether (Bramble and Lockhart) should have even asked. It is a sticky proposition," says Johnson. "But that is beyond my ability to say in an audit."

In audit work papers, Christensen is quoted as saying he felt "tremendous" pressure from Bramble and other legislators to do the float work, because as MATC director he was trying to rebuild "relationships" with powerful legislators. Bramble denies he pressured Christensen.

But it is clear to me that Bramble and Lockhart should have never asked for this favor, even if they were more than willing to pay for the "whole cost, with no discounts or favors" — as Lockhart says she put it to Christensen.

Did Christensen really feel that he had a choice to say "no" to the legislators? Few would doubt that if they so desired, and I'm not saying that they would do so, MATC could be greatly harmed by Bramble and/or Lockhart.

As members of the all-powerful Executive Appropriations Committee, the two and their committee colleagues decide funding for every college in the state.

Don't expect either the House or Senate to conduct formal ethics investigations of this affair — such investigations are rarely called and almost never result in any action against a legislator.

So, this incident is just another example of the good-ol' boy network working fine — one hand washing the other — until someone squealed.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com