He added that "This has been so unbelievably libelous and deceptive to the readers, the listeners and the viewers in the Salt Lake City media market, and it's grown now to a national story as some of these things are being carried nationally and the media needs to step up and start taking responsibility. They look at elected officials and they want accountability and responsibility; it's time we see the same thing from the media and it has been disgraceful."

The GOP's letter to Yocom raised questions about who Anderson allowed to participate in a trek from Salt Lake City to Torino, Italy. Several non-city employees were allowed to participate in the effort to bring the the mayor's Olympic message of peace, youth and environment to Torino, which will host the 2006 Winter Games. Anderson's girlfriend, a Park City couple Anderson called friends, and the wife of Deputy Mayor Rocky Fluhart were among those allowed to go on the European portion of the trip. Fluhart said Anderson ultimately made the call as to who would be able to go.

The trip had a $171,000 budget — $35,000 from tax dollars and $136,000 in private donations. However, the trip's expenditures ended up being only $135,700, so tax dollars that were used initially to fund early expenses were covered using the private donations, according to Anderson.

That means no tax dollars were used to pay for the trip.

County Republicans, however, maintain that even donations, once they are taken into city coffers, count as "public monies" under state statute.

Miller said it's unclear as to whether Anderson has the legal authority to authorize non-city employees to be reimbursed with public monies. That authority is one of the things Republicans want Yocom to investigate. They said they are not looking for a grand jury, but want Yocom to use investigators in his own office to examine Anderson's case.

In addition to the Torino trip they want Yocom to examine Anderson's use of tax dollars to purchase alcohol.

The scrutiny started when it was revealed that Anderson used tax dollars to pay a $457 tab for food and drinks in the Grand America hotel lobby lounge in July.

Anderson has been on a media blitz of late, contacting news organizations and insisting the bill shouldn't be called a "bar tab."

Anderson says the tab possibly contained food, alcohol and private club memberships but said he "can't remember" the exact breakdown of what he paid for or what was being served that night.

"There was variety of different things on a tray," Anderson said.

The mayor has declined to ask the Grand America to supply news organizations with a breakdown of the tab.

Anderson also hasn't said how he accumulated such a large tab in such a short time. He maintains his party, which he described as being for some 20 people, who came and went, arrived at the Grand America after 11:30 p.m. and in less than an hour, when the bill was paid at 12:24 a.m., had racked up the the $457 bill. He also hasn't given a complete accounting of those for whom he paid.