Attorney unloads on slow pace of ethics proceedings

The House Ethics Committee started the second day of hearings this morning behind closed doors into allegations made against Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, but by mid-afternoon, had only heard from a single witness.

Hughes is accused of offering a former GOP lawmaker, Susan Lawrence, $50,000 in campaign contributions in her unsuccessful 2006 bid for reelection if she would change her vote on school vouchers.

He has filed his own ethics complaint against his chief accuser, Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake, saying Riesen improperly leaked details of that and other allegations to the news media.

The committee, which met for the first time Wednesday, finished taking testimony from Lawrence today. She was only the first of about 55 witnesses on a list released earlier this week.

They were also expected to hear from Hughes as well as Riesen. They may also hear from two other Democrats who signed the complaint against Hughes, Roz McGee of Salt Lake, and Neil Hansen of Ogden.

The slow pace of the proceedings angered Hughes' attorney, Thomas Karrenberg. Asked by reporters about the time it was taking to hear the complaint, he called the process un-American.

"I'm a Vietnam vet. I've been shot at for this country ... If they can't do it fastly, it is not American," he said. "I'm not just talking as a lawyer. I (expletive) mean it." Karrenberg then questioned whether Riesen or others involved in the process put their (expletives) "on the line."

Lawrence didn't enter the committee room until 1:30 p.m. because the committee apparently spent the morning debating procedural matters.

Karrenberg said the committee was considering his request that they consider each of the six charges against his client separately, announcing their decision on each before proceeding to the next.

"We basically think that's the only fair way," Karrenberg said. He later expressed frustration that he had not been told whether the committee had ruled on his request. Karrenberg told reporters that he and Hughes were only allowed in the hearing during witness testimony, not during deliberations.

About 2:30 p.m., Riesen appeared with one of his attorneys, David Irvine, ready to testify. Riesen said he had "no idea" what he could tell the committee about the alleged offer Hughes made to Lawrence.

"All I have to go on is Susan's letter," Riesen said, referring to the document she wrote detailing her conversation with Hughes some two years ago. "I'm taking her at her word."