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State Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, who could be the subject of an ethics investigation, blamed a Republican colleague in the House on Thursday and downplayed a scandal over a parade float.
The Senate is seriously considering opening an ethics probe to "clear the good senator's name," Ric Cantrell, Senate chief deputy, said Thursday. He added that senators are waiting to see if the investigation will cause "more harm than good in the court of public opinion."
Bramble claimed Rep. Rebecca Lockhart, R-Provo, played the main role in arranging for the Mountainland Applied Technology College to build a parade float for the Utah County Republican Party. The project, which involved the illegal use of several hundred dollars in public monies later reimbursed, was disclosed in a state audit released Wednesday.
Auditors' notes indicate MATC President Clay Christensen, after a private conversation with Bramble, recanted his claims of political pressure.
In addition to downplaying his role in the float project, Bramble on Thursday also denied strong-arming Christensen, saying he cannot recall the conversation.
"My only involvement in this whole issue was asking if they had a need for a class project," Bramble said. "They talked with Becky [Lockhart] for making arrangements with the MATC, but they made it clear that they expected to pay for the float and didn't want any money expended."
Lockhart did not return phone messages Thursday. Her husband, Utah Republican Party Chairman Stan Lockhart, said he had no knowledge of the controversy.
Bramble characterized his only involvement as a casual and innocent conversation with Christensen.
"All they had to do was say 'bring me a check' or say 'no, we're not doing the project.' No one would have cared," Bramble said.
However, auditors said Bramble's wife, Susan, secretary of the Utah County GOP, and the couple's son, Jeff, "followed up with the completion of the project." Jeff Bramble also drove the float in the Freedom Festival Parade last July.
Bramble called the float a "non-issue" in a scathing audit that identified numerous irregularities with MATC's management, including an unreasonable pay package for a top official who failed to report part of it as income to the Internal Revenue Service.
"I don't understand why you're focusing on a float when [former MATC President] Rob Brems had a compensation package of $157,000," said Bramble, a certified public accountant.
Christensen, however, has been placed on paid leave for his handling of the float scandal. Not only did he authorize the project but also falsified documents to cover it up after being warned of its illegality by the state auditor and attorney general, according to the audit. Brems, too, is on paid leave pending the outcome of a Board of Regents internal investigation.
Originally, Christensen told State Auditor Auston Johnson he was under "tremendous pressure" by the Utah County GOP and lawmakers to build the float. But later that same day, after a conversation with Bramble, he recanted that statement and took responsibility for his actions, according to auditors' notes.
That sudden change occurred during a conference call, placed to Christensen from Senate President John Valentine's office. Present were Valentine, Bramble, Lockhart and Johnson.
Bramble at first denied having a previous, private conversation with Christensen. He later acknowledged he "may have called," but said he couldn't recall what was said.
Some senators are now considering holding an ethics investigation, said Cantrell.
"It's obvious to almost everyone that Senator Bramble just asked an innocent question," Cantrell said. "But we're thinking of clearing the air, clearing his good name and protecting the Senate as an institution."
The House has not called for an ethics inquiry, said Chris Bleak, chief of staff to House Speaker Greg Curtis.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., the head of the state's Republican Party, also said Thursday that he would follow up on the float allegations.
"I'm not sure building floats for partisan purposes is something that public institutions should be in the practice of doing," Huntsman said in an interview. "Our leaders in higher education are looking very closely at this. We will act upon what we get."
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* GLEN WARCHOL contributed to this report.