What Workman is really charged with is not misusing funds, but power. She helped her daughter because she could. And she covered it up because she could. Between the lines, that's the indictment against her: that in this instance, at least, she behaved more like an old-style South American dictator than a duly elected civil servant.

She will have her day in court. Many of them, probably. She has hired arguably the city's finest, and certainly most well-known, defense attorney. If Ron Yengich can't get you off, you might not be get-offable.

But in sharp contrast to the atmosphere in June when Yocom first brought up the possibility of the mayor's misuse of public funds, there were no political peers standing up Tuesday rising to Nancy Workman's defense.

She is still innocent. But now that the details have been spelled out, the number of people willing to say so seems to have shrunk considerably.

---

Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.