Investigation nearly complete in state treasurer's probe

FARMINGTON — After meeting here for more than an hour, the Davis and Weber county attorneys are closer to reaching a decision over criminal charges in the state treasurer's race.

The investigation is nearly over, but Weber County Attorney Mark DeCaria and Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings won't comment on what, if any, charges will be filed or against whom. The results of their probe into the race between Republican candidates Mark Walker and Richard Ellis will be announced Oct. 14.

"We met again this morning to review evidence and will confer later this week to finalize conclusions," Rawlings said in a statement Monday.

Rawlings, a Republican, and DeCaria, a Democrat, were appointed as special counsel to look into possible violations of state election laws. Ellis accused Walker of offering to let him keep his job as deputy state treasurer with a substantial raise if he'd drop out of the race.

Ellis won the GOP primary election. He said today he had not been contacted about the results of the probe.

"I've not heard anything. I've not talked to investigators for over a month," Ellis said. He also said he wasn't sure how his campaign would be affected by next week's announcement.

"They're doing their job," Ellis said of the prosecutors. "I guess we'll see. I don't know what to think of it. There's a potential for it to go either way."

Walker, a former state lawmaker from Sandy, denied any wrongdoing, saying he never offered a bribe but did say state employees would still keep their jobs if he won the November election.

Walker told the Deseret News Monday he had not been contacted about possible charges.

"I haven't. I just know they're still looking into things. That's all I know right now," Walker said, adding he expects to hear what will happen in the next week or so. "I'm just looking forward, one way or the other, to moving on."

Sources close to the investigation told the Deseret News the investigation has been exhaustive, with numerous lawmakers and high-ranking Republican officials questioned and voluminous amounts of documents to review.

The timing of the decision could factor into the election, with Ellis facing Democrat Dick Clark in November.

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