Governor calls for UDOT audit in wake of controversial I-15 bid

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert called Wednesday for an audit of the Utah Department of Transportation, saying he has "an obligation to protect the public trust and to ensure integrity" in how roads contracts are awarded.

But Herbert's Democratic opponent in this November's gubernatorial race, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, said the audit was "a campaign diversion" and it's the governor who should be investigated for what he termed "illegal" campaign activities.

The governor's announcement that he was calling for an audit came only hours after Guy Wadsworth, one of his top campaign contributors and the contractor involved in the ongoing I-15 bid controversy, acknowledged a "personal relationship" with a female UDOT employee.

That was just the latest in a series of revelations surrounding the record $1.7 billion project to rebuild I-15 through Utah County that started three weeks ago with questions raised about the influence of campaign contributions to the governor on contract awards.

Herbert accepted $87,500 from members of the winning bid team for the I-15 project, including $50,000 from Wadsworth. He also had two private meetings with Wadsworth before the bid was awarded last December.

The governor has steadfastly denied any connection between contributions to his campaign and the contract, even as news surfaced of UDOT's quietly negotiated $13 million settlement with a losing bidder and later, e-mails suggesting his campaign's interest in the I-15 decision.

Herbert's two-page letter to UDOT Executive Director John Njord did not take issue with either the contract award or the settlement payment to the second-place bidder made earlier this year.

However, Herbert, who has said he did not know about the $13 million settlement before it became public, said while the payment may have been justified, "the lapse in communication and public disclosure is simply unacceptable."

The governor told Njord in the letter that "a cloud of uncertainty has been raised concerning some UDOT practices. Public trust, as well as my confidence in your department, must be restored."

He is asking Utah State Auditor Auston Johnson to conduct a "full and thorough" audit that includes a review of how UDOT awards contracts, uses technology and manages human resources.

The results, the governor said, will be reported to legislative leaders and the Legislature's transportation committee. Until it's done, Herbert said he will have to approve any settlement of more than $100,000.