During a Capitol news conference, that at times deteriorated to angry shouting, Rep. Michael Noel, R-Kanab, called SUWA a "shadow government" and accused SUWA staff attorney Steve Bloch of lying in a federal courtroom.

The event followed the Tuesday release of a letter, written on House of Representatives stationery, demanding the nonprofit private organization hand over a long list of detailed information on bank records and other investment transactions within 30 days.

The request was based on oblique accusations that separate securities fraud convictions last year of former SUWA trustee Bert Fingerhut and treasurer Mark Ristow must have had some effect on SUWA's finances.

The letter was signed by 45 members of the House. Though its tone was prosecutorial, it was not cast as a subpoena and does not have legal force.

"We asked [for the information] in a kind way," Noel said.

But if SUWA does not comply, lawmakers may issue a subpoena or request an investigation by the Utah attorney general, said Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville. A subpoena would have evidence of cause for the action, he said, but did not explain who would do such an evaluation.

A Securities and Exchange Commission investigation that concluded last year found that Fingerhut and Ristow separately circumvented banking regulations, making millions of illegal dollars in the process. Ristow is serving 20 months in federal prison; Fingerhut is serving two years.

In October, David Rosenfeld, associate regional director for the SEC, told The Salt Lake Tribune the investigation found no evidence the two were acting in concert. Nor did the SEC case include complaints against SUWA. On Tuesday, he reiterated that the SEC "made no allegations concerning any such conduct."

Noel did not directly call Bloch, who attended the news conference, a liar, but described him as a SUWA member who had been required to swear in before testifying during a legislative committee hearing. Afterward, he objected to Noel's accusation.

"He's an elected official. His conduct is held to a higher standard. He really does have to stop," Bloch said. "We look forward to [having] a discussion, to have a debate with him about these allegations, which are absolutely meritless."

Noel based his accusation on a footnote in a precedent-setting 2005 10th U.S. Circuit Court ruling on county road ownership on federal land. The note questioned SUWA's interpretation of an an earlier court ruling, saying "This falls short of the scrupulous accuracy which we expect from officers of the court."

SUWA offered a motion to the court explaining its reasoning. The court accepted the motion and removed the footnote from the final published ruling.

Noel has long opposed any new wilderness designation on federal lands in Utah, especially the 9 million-acre proposal in the Red Rock Wilderness Act that has been before Congress since U.S. Rep. Wayne Owens, D-Utah, introduced it in 1988.

Current sponsors U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., recently reintroduced the bill. During Wednesday's news conference, Noel said the reintroduction triggered the letter to SUWA.

After Wednesday's news conference, Noel said the current 1.3 million acres of wilderness in Utah is acceptable, but complained wilderness restrains energy development and extraction business.

"These minerals are our salvation," he said.