Ethics probe could take an ugly turn

A political blood-letting could be headed for the Utah Legislature as a formal ethics investigation brings to the surface long-held grudges.

As part of the initial ethics investigation, concerning alleged promises made by state Rep. Mark Walker in the state treasurer's race, those bringing the complaint want a "special prosecutor" appointed, something that has not been done in recent legislative history.

Formal ethics investigations are rare in the Legislature. It takes at least three members of the House to ask for a House investigation, three senators to ask for a Senate ethics investigation. As it currently stands, only the House is forming an ethics hearing now.

The politics may get bitter, as moderate Republican legislators and Democrats face off against conservative GOP lawmakers — who have held the balance of power in the Legislature for years.

"I think" those bringing the new ethics investigation "are just using me as a whipping boy to get to (GOP) leaders," said Walker, R-Sandy, who lost the GOP treasurer's primary Tuesday.

The new investigation "is just a vindictive political cheap shot ... to harm the elections of others" in the House this year, Walker added.

Chief deputy treasurer Richard Ellis, who won Tuesday's GOP treasurer primary, has accused Walker, whom he defeated, of trying to bribe him to stay out of the Republican nomination race for treasurer.

Ellis claims that in March Walker came to him, promising not only to keep Ellis as chief deputy treasurer (and keep all of the treasurer's staff, as well) should Walker win but in addition offered to raise the chief deputy's pay by $56,000 a year.

Walker denies any wrongdoing, saying he never offered a pay raise and only offered to keep all treasurer employees on staff so as to not unduly worry "good employees." Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's office is now referring the allegations to two county attorneys, one a Republican and one a Democrat, for possible criminal prosecution.

The House's ethics investigation is a separate investigation from that one. A number of House and Senate GOP leaders backed Walker, and several said Thursday it is no coincidence that an ethics investigation is filed the day after Ellis beat Walker in the primary.

Ellis waited until after the May state GOP convention — where Walker did well and forced Ellis into a primary — to report the incident and make formal charges, following newspaper inquiries about the alleged offer.