Reader comments
Walker ready to plead in election-bribe case

Since when is assuring your opponent that he/she can keep their job regarless of the outcome of the election a bribe?

People and political parties discuss and negotiate deals like this all the time. The same discussions and negotiations were going on between the Obama and Clinton camps towards the end of the Democrat primary and were reported openly in the media, but nobody felt the concept of Obama offering her an important posistion in his adminisration in exhange for her calling it quits, was a "Bribe".

What's the big deal???

And why drag it out past another election deadline??? So the doubts are still out there?

Who stands to gain from these alegations remaining an unknown for the remainder of the election cycle?

Walker was offering Ellis a substantial pay increase that could only be authorized by our squeaky clean Legislature or more specifically someone in the Legislature who felt they had the power to push such an increase through. Thus the grand jury investigation nimrod! Seriously, what would life be for some of you if you let the facts cloud up your lives? Could you function in the real world?

this investigation will now turn toward ellis and empey. That is why its still going. one down two more to go

TO: How is this a bribe? - 11:16 a.m.

The bribe was, if you drop out of the race, you can keep your job and have a $50,000 salary increase.

He claimed he had backing for the raise from what I would call his GOP "buddies" in leadership. I can only assume Curtis, Valentine and others. (All GOP for those caring to know.)

Let's keep voting for those Utah R's everyone. I like reading about them weekly in the newspapers.

Recall that Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis and Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff backed Mark Walker -- who by his guilty plea will stand convicted as an election law violator -- in the Utah Treasurer's race.

Birds of a corrupt feather flock together.

Sweating yet Curtis?

What do you bet that Hughes, a huge supporter of Walker and facing his own ethics' violation probe, and other pompous "we control the state" legislators, were involved.

People need to realize the bribe was the sexy story that could never be proved because it was hearsay at best. The concrete evidence will go toward ellis and empey and their self admitted "negotiations" with Walker.

Those men are the real ones in trouble.

Your comment makes no sense. If it can't be proved, then why has Walker just plead guilty (usually you don't plead guilty if there's no admissible evidence and there is no fear of a grand jury indictment).

But I think you're right on one point: there may be others besides Walker who are in trouble here.

Too "Get a clue. | 11:26 a.m." and "Are you not reading the paper? | 12:15 p.m."

I'm not only reading the paper, but I'm doing my own investigating and thinking instead of letting the paper tell me what's what. Are you?

Neither of you even touched the question in my posting.

Why is Obama offering Clinton the job as his VP to end the Primary race different?

Would Clinton not receive a pay raise if she because VP? Was Obama not giving her something to drop out and end the Primary earlier so they could prep for the convention?

Oh... and so much for the theory that the high and mighty Demo supportes never call names (like Nimrod) if you don't agree with them. You have no room to complain when other posters do it when you do it yourselvs. Personally I think Demo supporters are the quickest to start throwing out the names and insults to make their point.

Just another story about the Utah Communist Party. It is sad that the "People" cannot do anything about the head of the dragon. People in UT have been brain washed that they will never vote against their beloved GOP. What do you think when you read all about these people? Chairmain Mao is laughing in his gave. Vote the other party in, change keeps this corruption down. It will never change but if you keep changing the parties it will be less.

As a life long Republican I am sick of individuals that feel like Republican means "i can" do any thing I want. "i can" hint at rewards for those who drop out of political races, "i can" offer special interest money if one votes a certain way on vouchers, etc. They discrace not only themselves, but their party, their culture and their "so called" belief in conservative values. Let's get come Republicans in that say "i can" serve others and not myself.

Obviously, by offering a plea there is an admission of guilt.

The question is, who else is being investigated? Ellis and the Zion's employee? Likely. And I would bet they snoop around Curtis and Valentine as well.

Money is necessary to politics but the love of money is corrupting to politics. This is not a Republican problem but one of excess that is seen in Democratic circles as well.

All people are corruptable. When power gets logjammed you see this. The issue is not that of having Republicans in the majority but of leaders remaining in office too long. When a Speaker of the House or President of the Senate serves for two years their legacy is the legislation they craft that benefits the people. When they are in power longer their legacy becomes the feifdom they create.

That is the issue. If the Democrats were in office as Speaker/Senate President for 6+ years you would see the same abuse of power. The feeling that your feifdom should control all.

Changing leadership trends is the more laudable goal. And those who insist on placing blame on partisan politics are selling the entire state short.

This problem is human nature.

Just like with the most recent ethics allegations, Ellis didn't come forth with the bribery accusation when it happened, but instead waited right before the primary election. And if you look at the old stories when the scandal broke, Ellis was complicit with the offer.

Bottom line, I don't trust Ellis anymore than I trust Walker. This is a rare case where I hope the Democrat wins.

Don't forget:

1) Walker's attorney now admits he is guilty of violating the law after dozens of non-denial denials from his client. He seems to be negotiating with the newspapers instead of the prosecutors, and they can't be happy about that. So Walker is a long way from getting out of the bribery charge. If he sings like a canary, look out.
2) Someone in the legislature that has a strong say in appropriations told Walker he could get and use public money to bribe someone.
3) Stan Lockhart has refused to answer any questions about his involvement from the public or media.
4) The common GOP thread in this and other scandals is to vilify those who come forward and expose their corruption.
5) Follow the money...

"
Since when is assuring your opponent that he/she can keep their job regarless of the outcome of the election a bribe?"

And this, my friends, is why we are in the state of utter corruption. with our public officials that we are.

The above snippet is a real, live thought, from a real live Utah voter. I guess they cut out "Civics" in order to make room for Seminary.

honestly, I am just gobsmacked that a voter would even ask that question.

Has anyone picked up on the one common thread in all of the ethics allegations? Every person making or benefiting politically from the allegations is backed heavily by the teachers union.

Although the teachers union likes to shroud itself in the innocence of the teachers they purport to represent, they are the largest union in the US and no strangers to bare-knuckled politics.

I'm afraid they've introduced a new campaign tactic to Utah that will not bode well for politics or meaningful ethics reforms.

I'm all for ending unethical behavior, but it should be done in ethical ways.

Possible corruption by GODS chosen people???Say it ain't so joe.

Let's not worry about Walker; other than he has 5 young kids to feed. There are bigger Fish to Fry here. Key supporters of Mr. Walker were Mr. Curtis and Mr. Shurtleff. They should both be turned our of office this November, if not for corruption, for having the very bad judgement of supporting a candidate for Treasurer who had ZERO training and very little experiences with finance.

Governor Huntsman ought to be sent out of office too. He always was a Walker support and in turn Walker supported everyting the GOV wanted, whether he throught it was correct or not. Apparently Republicans in Utah are not to think by themselves they are to support their leaders regardless. Hum... Where did they get this traning?

-A life long Utah Republican who simply can't stand the stench on Capitol Hill any longer. - The stench up on the Hill is WORSE than that of the Great Salt Lake after a strong Northwest Wind.

Blaming the teachers is a far stretch -

Here are the arguments so far

1. Bribery is not bribery
2. It's the teachers union making stuff up

The grand jury is being requested by two prosecuting attorneys - a Republican and a Democrat, because they believe there's enough evidence to get an indictment.

They're turning down Walker's request to plea down because they think they have enough evidence to get an indictment or multiple indictments without his testimony.

This isn't a sports contest. It's not about team spirit. It's about the integrity of our civilization and the desire of corrupt lawyers to increase their own power and wealth. People of conscience should fight evil and choose the right, even if it means questioning Republican authority.