Watch those politicians | 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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

I enjoyed reading "Utah has a long list of famous political scandals" (Tribune, Aug 31). It noted that the allegations surrounding Attorney General John Swallow are but the latest to embroil an elected official in this state. Past Utah politicians have, for example, climbed naked into a hot tub with a minor girl or solicited prostitutes.

The Tribune noted that Utah's first U.S. senator, Arthur Brown, was shot dead in a Washington, D.C. hotel room by his longtime mistress, Anne Maddison Bradley, who had two children by Brown. Bradley was tried in court but acquitted by a sympathetic jury on grounds of temporary insanity.

The one common thread in most scandals is that they are often unearthed by happenstance. Politicians often think they can cover their tracks. Yet, one seemingly small misstep often leads to that closet with all the skeletons.

Nothing beats transparency and scrutiny of those in government service.

James A. Marples

Provo