Bramble, not Hughes, requested memo on voucher cost

Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, volunteered this morning to appear before the House Ethics Committee to discount a second charge against Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper.

Bramble had already testified Tuesday before the committee, but said today he felt compelled to come back to explain it was him, not Hughes, who requested a controversial memo from legislative staff.

Hughes is accused by Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake, and two other Democratic lawmakers of abusing his office and misusing legislative staff by requesting financial information about private school vouchers.

The ethics complaint filed by the Democrats alleges Hughes "used his official position to force a state agency to become a partisan agent in a political campaign," calling that a possible criminal violation.

Hughes, who faces six separate charges, has filed his own ethics complaint against Riesen for leaking information about the allegations to the media.

The committee is hearing both complaints behind closed doors, starting with the one filed against Hughes. Today marks the fifth day of the secret hearings.

Bramble said he requested what he described as the "Bramble memo" from the floor of the Senate during debate on the voucher issue. The memo, released months later, was addressed only to Bramble.

"I'm concerned about the credibility and the integrity of the complaint," Bramble told reporters after spending less than a half-hour in front of the committee.

He said it would have been easy for the attorneys who prepared the complaint against Hughes to check who ordered the memo. And, Bramble said, legislators have the authority to request such information for any purpose.

"These are serious allegations. Before you make the charge, you do your homework," Bramble said.

Members of the committee apparently requested a tape of the floor session where Bramble made his request.

Tuesday, they heard testimony from Bramble on a separate charge accusing Hughes of attempting to "shakedown" lobbyists for contributions to his political issues committee supporting vouchers.

Hughes' attorney, Thomas Karrenberg, said Tuesday that "not one person" told the committee they had heard of any such activities by Hughes to raise money for his PIC.

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