Mailer lied, Demo says

PROVO — Provo police are investigating a complaint filed by prominent Utah Democrat Nancy Jane Woodside against nine Republican legislators and others tied to a campaign mailer sent during Provo's mayoral race.

Woodside also asked the city attorney to appoint an independent prosecutor to determine whether the mailer violated a city ordinance that makes it a crime to publish a false statement about a candidate.

A political action committee called Provo Residents for Good City Government sent the mailer to Republicans in Provo three days before the Nov. 8 election. The piece tied mayoral candidate Dave Bailey to Woodside (a former Utah County Democratic Party chairwoman) and national Democratic Committee chairman Howard Dean and urged Republicans to vote to keep a "small minority" from electing "a mayor who does not reflect Provo's conservative values."

Woodside said the mailer cost Bailey the election, gave a third term to Mayor Lewis Billings and will make it hard for her to get another job in Utah.

The mailer quoted Bailey as saying, "As Provo mayor, I will make Nancy Jane Woodside my chief administrative officer," during an October luncheon at a meeting of the Democratic Women of Utah County. Bailey and a number of people who attended the luncheon deny the candidate discussed either the job or Woodside, who worked behind the scenes for the Bailey campaign.

"He did not mention Nancy Jane at all," said Kena Jo Mathews, acting chair of the Democratic Women of Utah County. "That is a complete and outright lie. He talked about his platform and answered questions."

A Provo city ordinance passed in 1998 makes it a crime to publish a false statement in campaign literature. The maximum punishment for the Class B misdemeanor is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Woodside believes the legislators, including state senators Curt Bramble and Parley Hellewell and Rep. Jeff Alexander, should be punished.

Bramble said he never saw the mailer but stands behind the endorsement and the statement attributed to Bailey.

"I believe that was said," Bramble said. "I believed it at the time, and I believe it today."

Others who endorsed the piece include Rep. Margaret Dayton, Rep. Brad Daw, Rep. Lorie Fowlke, Rep. Craig Frank, Rep. Becky Lockhart, Rep. Aaron Tilton and Utah County Commissioner Steve White.

"It doesn't matter if they say they only endorsed it," Woodside said. "They were part of it being published. They signed something that's a lie."

Salt Lake City attorney Jeff Hunt questioned the soundness of Provo's ordinance.