Shauna Hardy said Tuesday she would prefer to tell her story to election officials or a criminal prosecutor. But since no one in authority has contacted her, she agreed to talk to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Hardy maintains she essentially was ''forced'' by her immediate supervisor to turn over her $2,000 bonus from Wasatch CEO Dell Loy Hansen to Miller's campaign.

"I did it reluctantly, and I lost sleep over it," Hardy said. "I knew I'd done something unethical, something that is not in my character."

She also worries about possible criminal repercussions.

John Flynn, a prominent retired law professor from the University of Utah, has called for an investigation, saying it appears from news stories that Hansen, a Republican, illegally funneled employee bonuses as so-called "proxy donations" to GOP candidate Miller.

Flynn sent a copy of his letter to the Utah Attorney General's Office, the Lieutenant Governor's Office and Salt Lake County District Attorney David Yocom. But, as of Tuesday, it appears no investigation had been launched by any government entity.

Miller notes Hardy's campaign donation has since been given to a charity of Hardy's choice.

Hardy, a property manager, left Wasatch in August after more than five years. She said one reason for quitting was the way the company handled the donations - $2,000 apiece from 12 employees as well as similar amounts from Hansen and his lawyer - to Miller.

"I was told to give it to her," said Hardy, who lives in North Salt Lake. "I live in Davis County. I can't vote in Salt Lake County. Why would anyone outside Salt Lake County donate to her?"

Hardy added that she knew nothing about Miller's stand on the issues - having missed a meeting in which the candidate spoke to some employees - and never met the woman until after making the campaign donation in June.

A June 14 letter from Wasatch's chief operating officer, Anita Lockhart, announced the bonuses and urged employees to "support candidates and causes within your city, state and the nation. Please consider donating to the candidate or cause of your choice."

But Hardy said Lockhart, who was her direct boss, made it clear the money was meant only for Miller's campaign.

Hardy said she protested that she did not feel good about donating to Miller. But she said Lockhart warned her that "politically, in the company, you need to do it."

And despite an indication in the letter that bonuses were to be delivered in the "next few days," Hardy said, "we didn't receive the bonuses and the letter until we wrote our checks to Lohra. I handed my check in and got in exchange my letter and check."

Lockhart declined to comment for this story. Hansen did not return a call.

Last month, after an article appeared in the Salt Lake City Weekly suggesting the donations from a dozen Wasatch employees - totaling $24,000 - constituted illegal proxy contributions, Miller returned Hardy's money by writing a check on Hardy's behalf to Primary Children's Medical Center.

Miller, who handles prosecutions for a handful of Salt Lake County cities, told The Tribune last week that she called or met with each of the 12 employees and learned that only Hardy was unhappy with her donation.

But Hardy said Tuesday that Miller's recollection of their conversation "kind of twisted" what took place. Hardy said Miller initially left a message inviting her to a campaign party and did not immediately volunteer to return the money when Hardy called her back.

''I declined the invitation [to the party] and said there was something else I want to discuss,'' Hardy said. ''She asked, 'Is it the donation? Did you give it unwillingly?'

"I said, 'Yes. I was forced to give it, and I didn't want to give it.' "

Miller offered to return the money, but Hardy said she did not want it.

"I felt it came with strings attached and was not mine to keep," said Hardy, adding that she told Miller she considered it "dirty money."

Hardy preferred to give it to a charity.

Responding to Hardy's account, Miller said Tuesday that while calling Wasatch employees about their donations, she also extended a party invitation to each.

On other points, she said, "that's not the way I recall the conversation."

Hardy said some Wasatch employees suspected the donation request was "fishy." But Hardy, whose husband is a member of the North Salt Lake City Council and had dealt with financial disclosures, said she knew she had done "something wrong."

Hardy said she decided to speak up to "correct the mistake I made so I don't have to live with any guilt." But she also feels she is a victim and wonders if Miller is as well.

Miller said Tuesday that, inadvertently or not, Hansen had caused her plenty of grief. "Yes, I'm frustrated," she said.

James Evans, Republican Party chairman for Salt Lake County, said Tuesday, "Lohra has no control over who gives her contributions, but she does have control over whether she keeps them."

Evans insisted that Miller's Democratic opponent, Salt Lake City Prosecutor Sim Gill, did have control over employer or occupation listings that Gill left off some campaign disclosures.

"That's far worse than someone getting a contribution and finding out they didn't want to give it," Evans said.

The GOP boss has written a letter asking Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen to investigate what he called Gill's "deliberate and intentional violation" of filing false reports.

Gill countered, "I hope there were nine others named in that letter. I was one of 10 other people who made that mistake." Gill says he cleared up the oversight with amended disclosures.

Evans also accused Gill of laboring behind the scenes to keep the Miller campaign-donation flap alive.

"That is absolutely bizarre," said Gill, insisting that he is focusing on his own campaign. "I have no intent of saying anything negative about anybody."

shunt@sltrib.com