This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The leader of Salt Lake County's Democratic Party agrees with rival Republicans on one thing: District Attorney David Yocom should investigate Rocky Anderson's goodwill trip to Italy.
In doing so, however, Megan Risbon, chairwoman of the county Democratic Party, cautions that she doesn't know whether the Salt Lake City mayor violated state law.
"I haven't taken a position on Rocky's guilt or innocence. I'm not an attorney," Risbon said Tuesday. "If he's done something wrong, he needs to be prosecuted for it, or whatever they do."
Contacted in Washington, D.C., Anderson scolded the Democratic Party for taking a position in the dispute. The mayor, whose office is officially nonpartisan, is a Democrat but never has had close ties to the party.
"I have a hard time understanding why she's even involving herself in this. She knows nothing about the facts or the issue," said Anderson, who had asked players in the party to remain on the sidelines. "Democrats have a long history of screwing up just about everything they touch."
Salt Lake County Councilman Joe Hatch, a former county Democratic chairman, says Anderson personally urged him to stay out of the fray.
"The party should honor that request," Hatch said Tuesday. "They should stay out of it."
It was the county GOP that initially called for Yocom to investigate. Republican Party Chairman James Evans delivered a letter to the district attorney last week, saying Anderson may have misused public money.
Anderson again denied any wrongdoing Tuesday.
"There were no laws violated and everything was done in a very aboveboard, disclosed fashion. We accomplished exactly what our funders had in mind. Not one cent of taxpayer dollars will have been spent on this project."
As part of a tradition for Winter Olympic host cities, Anderson and others trekked to Torino this past summer to deliver a message of "peace, youth and the environment," traveling by bike and yacht. The European bicycle stint included Anderson; his girlfriend, Tracy Lyon; Deputy Mayor Rocky Fluhart and Fluhart's wife, Gretchen; Anderson's friends and bike racers, Bill and Celia Underwood; and Sarah Wright, executive director of Utah Clean Energy.
All but Anderson personally paid for their flights; the mayor's was covered by private donations.
Private donations will cover the cost of the $136,000 trip, says the city's finance director. Anderson had set aside $35,000 to help pay for a $90,000 documentary film of the event, though donations are expected to cover that balance as well.
Evans alleges Anderson misused public funds (donations are treated as public funds by city policy) by using the money to benefit his friends.
While agreeing the mayor should be investigated, Risbon, in a news release Monday, nonetheless chided Evans' tactics, calling for the GOP boss to be "more honest and upfront about his motivation." She said Evans is rumored to want to run for city mayor in 2007.
Said Evans: "I have no desire to run for mayor of Salt Lake City. That's typical of Democrats - to impugn the motives."
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Tribune reporter Derek P. Jensen contributed to this story.