SALT LAKE CITY ? The political fallout from the way a probe of Attorney General John Swallow is conducted will make itself manifest in future elections, several top Republican officials say.
?Is there any member of this room that thinks John Swallow will be the issue in 2014, or the Republican majority will be the issue,? House Majority Leader Brad Dee, R-Washington Terrace, asked members of the GOP House caucus on Wednesday.
He and other Republican House members suggest the makeup of the special committee to investigate Swallow allegations will have political implications, regardless of the group?s potential findings. House Speaker Rebecca Lockhart will appoint state representatives to the nine-person committee and there has been significant discussion of the political makeup of the panel. House Democrats have asked for equal representation on the group, while some Republicans have argued for weighted representation based on the current political makeup of the Beehive state. That could lead to a 7-2 or 6-3 majority of GOP members on the group.
The group will take the lead in the House?s efforts to investigate allegations raised against Swallow, but will not have authority to act on the information gleaned. Lawmakers have been clear that any potential impeachment action will be undertaken by the House as a whole, not the committee.
Some, including Rep. Jim Bird, R-West Jordan, said the perception of Republicans potentially dictating the future of what occurs with the Swallow allegations will be a big issue with voters in 2014. He said it will be bigger than the political impact of House Bill 477 in 2012, which initiated a state effort to wrest control of federal lands in Utah from the federal government.
?If you had issues with HB 477, if we don?t do this right, there?s going to be big trouble. We?re going to hear it. It?s going to be big in Salt Lake County,? Bird said.
Dee agreed.
?There are five or six or eight people in this caucus that will sink or swim on what happens with this process. It may not be me or someone in Cache, but those people within Salt Lake County, most likely western Salt Lake. If you think it?s John Swallow, you?re missing the vote to see how we are viewed by the masses,? Dee said. The Weber County lawmaker said the makeup of the committee will be the story of the committee, and not the process, if lawmakers are not careful.
Rep. Brian King, D-Salt Lake, argued the committee should be equal in representation from both parties, so that politics won?t be perceived as the reason for any findings the committee may come up with. He said that is the only way to restore public trust in the attorney general?s office.
?This is not a political exercise. It?s an exercise that rises above political parties,? King said. His amendment was defeated on the floor of the House.
Rep. Kay McIff, R-Richfield, argued any vote taken by the committee should be forwarded with a two-thirds majority and not a majority. His amendment was also defeated.
Lockhart has not tipped her hand on who will serve on the committee, but said she has been considering the matter carefully. She said picking the right person to head the group is also critical.
?It weighs on me heavily. This is the person who will direct the work of the committee and potentially look at issuing subpoenas. This is not a walk in the park, this isn?t easy. No one delights in this and no one relishes that assignment,? Lockhart said.
She said life experience would be considered in looking at committee candidates, not whether they had experience in law. She also said gender would not be a key factor in choosing potential group members.
Swallow has been hit with allegations of impropriety since he assumed office in January. He is the subject of a federal investigation after indicted Utah businessman Jeremy Johnson accused him of arranging to derail a Federal Trade Commission probe by bribing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Swallow is also the target of complaints filed at the Utah State Bar Association. One complaint alleges Swallow violated attorney-client privilege during conversations with a business owner cited for breaking telemarketing laws. The attorney general has denied any wrongdoing and has suggested he is eager to tell his side of the story. Six separate investigative groups are conducting probes into allegations against Swallow, including the Davis County attorney?s office.
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