Everyone hints that the powerful chairmanship positions they hold can be used to help those who agree with them. And so on.

If everyone does these things to one degree or another, why is Hughes being singled out just before a tough re-election? Dirty, crass politics is the claim by Hughes and his supporters.

His Democratic accusers say Hughes' actions are beyond the pale, even by loose ethics standards of the Utah Legislature.

Hughes says he is really in a lose-lose situation. He can be found culpable of some charge and get some penalty. That really hurts his re-election. Or he can be found completely innocent in an ethics process that even some legislators say is unfair, secret — and still have a cloud over his head.

Of course, Riesen is in the same situation.

I see the ethics committee — and ultimately the 75 members of the House themselves — splitting the baby: Find Hughes and Riesen innocent of all charges against them, or find both men guilty of some minor infraction, get a censure — let the elections for the pair fall out where they may — and then look hard to the 2009 Legislature to somehow change the ethics process — which both sides believe has been abused in their specific case.

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Deseret News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com.