Koerber said he plans to file a federal civil-rights violation lawsuit against several Utah employees. He particularly named Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Francine Giani, Securities Enforcement Director Michael Hines and former Securities Division Director Wayne Klein.

Giani said Friday that she had no comment on Koerber's claims.

"We haven't seen the lawsuit," she said. "If and when we get it, we will turn it over to our attorneys for review." At a press conference at the Grand America Hotel, Koerber was flanked by his wife, Michelle, and nine other people he described as small-business owners and entrepreneurs who support him. Koerber said Giani had been "shopping for a prosecutor" to go after him and ended up with federal prosecutors after Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff found no evidence of illegality in Koerber's business.

Koerber periodically played excerpts of audio conversations with various state government officials that had been secretly taped, both in person and on the telephone, by Koerber and other people.

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