University of Utah tries to smooth things over with conservative donor

SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah officials say they are standing behind the actions of its director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, who was accused by a national Republican direct-mailing businessman of mishandling part of his $200,000 donation.

In an effort to put this political controversy to bed, Fred Esplin, vice president of institutional advancement at the U., sent Peter Valcarce a letter on Thursday, assuring him that his donation has not been mishandled.

"Having now learned of your concerns our goal is to quickly reallocate these funds in accordance with your wishes," Esplin wrote.

Valcarce expressed disappointment on Friday, blasting the university for not adequately investigating what he continues to call theft.

"Only now, after public attention has been brought to this matter, is the university going to completely pay back the Rob Bishop scholarship on Jowers's behalf," Valcarce said. "The university refuses to give this matter the review it merits. It's clear the university is taking care of its own."

He added it should not have taken three years to resolve this issue.

In a letter sent earlier this month to not only the University of Utah, but majority/minority legislative leaders, the U. Board of Trustees and the Utah Board of Regents, Valcarce expressed frustration that about $75,000 of his $200,000 anonymous donation was moved into the scholarship fund in the name of Hinckley Institute director Kirk Jowers. In a letter of his own, sent to the same parties, Valcarce accused Jowers of co-opting his money and using it for his own political aims.

Valcarce said he was furious when Jowers went on KSL's "Doug Wright Show" to offer a $25,000 matching donation from the Kirk and Kristen Jowers Global Scholarship fund to raise funds for a memorial scholarship for Wright's son, Eric Wright, who died while serving a Washington, D.C., internship for the Hinckley Institute. At one point, Valcarce accused Jowers of "theft," adding that Jowers was using the money to further his own career.

Jowers has since denied any inappropriate use of the donation, adding that when Valcarce made the anonymous donation, he left no specific instructions on how it should be used. Later, Valcarce asked Jowers and the U. to move the $75,000 into a fund in the name of Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah. Jowers said $40,000 of the money was moved immediately into the Bishop fund, but that the remaining $35,000 would have to be moved slowly as it was locked up in an endowment account.