Don't Swallow | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah's attorney general is the chief legal adviser to the state and its chief law enforcement officer. He or she must be above reproach and of unquestioned ethical comportment. Unfortunately, one candidate for this office — John Swallow — does not meet these requirements.

Swallow's name has been tied to questionable dealings. He was caught on a secret tape promising a potential donor in trouble with regulators that, if elected, he would seek to take over Utah's Division of Consumer Protection ("Swallow tells potential donor he'll revamp Utah consumer protection," Tribune, June 2).

With more than $1 million in campaign contributions, candidate Swallow appears to have been bought by special interests. Why does he need well over $1 million to campaign against an opponent who has collected less than $50,000?

Utah deserves an attorney general with less disturbing baggage.

Robert Jacobs

Sandy