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A bank executive's e-mail - obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday through a government records request - corroborates Richard Ellis' allegation that Mark Walker offered him a job and pay hike if he would drop out of the state treasurer's race.
Carl Empey, vice-president of public finance for Zions Bank, e-mailed Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert on June 2, saying that Ellis' complaint, filed to Herbert the previous Friday, was entirely accurate.
Empey had been the go-between in a series of March exchanges between the two Republican candidates, who are now locked in a fierce battle for the GOP nomination.
Voters will decide that outcome at the polls on Tuesday.
Walker knew Empey from his 3-year stint at Zions Bank as a sales resource officer, a position he resigned at the end of March to campaign full-time. Empey, who advises the state on financial matters, had known Ellis for over a decade.
"Mr. Walker came up and visited with me on many occasions and discussed the idea, the salary amount and asked me to pass it along to Mr. Ellis for his consideration," Empey wrote.
The current state treasurer, Ed Alter, makes $104,000 a year. The alleged job offer, according to Ellis and Empey, was $160,000.
"It wasn't until March 17 that Mr. Ellis and myself became aware that this activity was improper under state statute," Empey continued in the lengthy e-mail.
"At that point, Mr. Ellis stopped the consideration and discussions and decided to run and not withdraw from the election."
Ellis, 48, serves as chief deputy state treasurer under Alter, who is retiring after 28 years. Walker, 32, is finishing his second term in the state House of Representatives.
The Walker campaign submitted similar but broader government records requests to Herbert and Ellis two weeks ago, said Steve Hunter, Walker's campaign manager.
Herbert denied to release Empey's e-mail to Hunter due to the ongoing investigation - one in which he has refused to make any determination until after Tuesday's primary.
Ellis said he released Empey's e-mail - Empey originally copied it to him as well as Herbert spokesman Joe Demma - to three GRAMA recipients Wednesday, including Hunter and The Salt Lake Tribune.
Wednesday evening, Hunter said he had yet to receive it - Ellis said he routed it and other requested information through the attorney general's office for Hunter to pick up.
"Before we released it, we had to get Empey's OK," Ellis said late Wednesday. "I told him it could be a protected document, but he was willing to put himself out there on the line."
In the e-mail, Empey wrote that he was willing to risk everything, including his job, to defend Ellis' integrity.
Hunter believes his e-mail does the opposite.
"These guys are toast. What it does is incriminate Richard Ellis and Carl Empey," Hunter said. "They were complicit in a job offer and soliciting a job offer - both are illegal under state law."
While Walker has confirmed that the March exchanges between himself and Ellis took place, he denies having offered him a job.
Ellis' side of the story is detailed in a sworn affidavit filed to the Supreme Court earlier this month - part of his unsuccessful effort to get Herbert to determine before the primary if his complaint merited further investigation by the attorney general's office.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has endorsed Walker and contributed $5,000 to his campaign; Empey donated $250 to Ellis' campaign.
Reached by phone Wednesday evening, Empey declined to comment further, saying his e-mail spoke for itself.