Probe into county leak loses support

An investigation into who leaked a report to the Deseret Morning News is losing support among top county officials.

County Clerk Sherrie Swensen requested the investigation by District Attorney David Yocom to find and prosecute whoever leaked the report, which included allegations of suspect hiring practices within the clerk's office.

But Mayor Peter Corroon said he's not pushing the investigation, opting instead to leave the dispute with Swensen's office and the district attorney.

"It's not our investigation, it's not something that we're going to pursue," Corroon said. "How much in resources can they spend compared to what's really the likelihood of finding out who it was?"

The odds are slim, Corroon added, that the investigation will be able to pinpoint the leak. Even if it could, charges of a Class B misdemeanor touted by the district attorney's office may not even be appropriate, he said.

The distinction between whether the leaker was just a whistle-blower or a criminal hinges on whether the report was a confidential document. Corroon said he was unsure whether the report actually falls under that classified label.

The district attorney's office did not return repeated calls over several days.

But County Councilman Joe Hatch said council members made a commitment to one another to keep the personnel report confidential. Although Hatch said the council should not play a role in the leak investigation, he still supports ferreting out whoever broke that commitment.

"They have to look into their souls," he said. "But that's for the attorney and the clerk's office to decide."

Councilman David Wilde also said the investigation is best left in the hands of the district attorney without involving any more elected officials. In fact, Wilde said he would rather see the whole issue "die a natural death."

"I'm not making any extra effort to pursue this. I'm so tired of hearing about county problems," he said. "I don't think pushing it any more is going to help anyone."

But Jason Yocom, chief deputy clerk for the county, said the clerk's office still wants the investigation to move forward because the report was protected as an internal personnel investigation. Yocom did not know the status of the investigation but said the leaker should be criminally charged.