What the GOP knew | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It appears likely that Utah Attorney General John Swallow will either resign or be removed from office. The allegations that keep piling up since a week after he took office, and ongoing federal, state and local investigations have persuaded nearly 80 percent of Utahns that Swallow is unfit for office.

I am incredulous at the claim that no one in the Republican Party knew anything about the substance of these allegations before the election. It appears the GOP must have known that Swallow was facing this gathering storm, but kept it quiet until after the election in order to hold the seat for Republicans. Then, after the scandals broke, he could be removed and the governor could appoint another Republican.

It is obvious that, had the voters known what they know now, Democratic Weber County Attorney Dee W. Smith would be the AG. It would behoove the governor to appoint Smith if and when Swallow is removed.

That is the only way to restore public confidence in the office and in the state GOP. We would have the man who would have won if the voters had known the facts in time, and the only one of the two who is actually qualified for the job.

Michael M. Brown

Millcreek