Lifferth said he's drafting letters about Jacob allegedly hiring illegal immigrants because during a debate this past weekend Jacob said he hadn't, to his knowledge, hired illegal workers.

"It's fairly common knowledge," Lifferth said. "People here in the neighborhood and (LDS) ward know about this situation."

Yapias, who asked both candidates Saturday whether they'd hired illegal workers, said it's "hypocritical" for Jacob to talk about deporting illegals if he did, in fact, hire them.

"The majority of us somehow benefit from the labor of undocumented immigrants," Yapias said. "Here we have someone who has made immigration an issue, to take a hard stand on immigration, yet he himself has taken a part of it."

Jacob says his statement that he hasn't knowingly hired illegal workers is true.

He said Oscar Silva is now a nurse and a military officer in line to receive citizenship.

"My belief is, I have not hired anyone illegally," the candidate said. "I truly do not hire people illegally. I think it is wrong."

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Editor's note: Joe Cannon, the brother of Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Deseret Morning News.

E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com