Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says allegations against his son are 'without merit'

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday that he believes his eldest son will be vindicated on charges of stalking a woman.

"As in most of these kinds of instances, there are two sides," the governor said during the taping of his monthly news conference on KUED Channel 7. "There's two sides to this story, too. I believe the allegations against my son will be found to be without merit."

Herbert said he would not get involved in the case.

"Unfortunately for my son, his dad happens to be the governor, which means it's all of a sudden newsworthy," the governor said. "That just comes with the territory. I have to be a father, but I have to stand off to make sure somebody doesn't accuse me — and they will — of wielding some kind of undue influence to change the outcome."

Herbert's 39-year-old son, Nathan, appeared in court Wednesday in Provo to face a civil stalking injunction. Nathan Herbert is accused of harassing the younger sister of a woman he was charged with stalking in 2005. An October hearing is scheduled on his attorney's request to seal the new case.

The governor said his position "makes it more difficult for him to have even a fair shake, certainly in the court of public opinion," and that he did not want to taint his son's ability to be "judged fairly based on the merits of the case."

But the governor said knowing some of the facts of the case, he believes his son will have his day in court "and he will be vindicated."

Nathan Herbert's attorney, Scott Card, issued a statement criticizing family members of the woman involved for making disparaging comments about his client to the media.

"It will soon be shown in a court of law that the allegations against Mr. Nathan Herbert are malicious and false," Card said in the statement. "This issue will be aggressively litigated in the court, not the media."

The governor, who began his news conference with a statement on the case and his intent not to discuss it further, said family matters should be kept private.

"I think the issues regarding me and my performance are fair game," the governor said, but children and, at least to some extent, spouses "really are off limits. I think that's what most people would expect in a civilized society, particularly here in America."

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