This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After the dust settles from Tuesday's primary - and voters have chosen the Republican nominee in the turbulent State Treasurer's race - candidate Mark Walker intends to ask the Attorney General's office to investigate his opponent, Richard Ellis.
"We believe there's evidence that Richard Ellis has engaged in improper use of state resources for his campaign," said Walker's campaign manager Steve Hunter. "We also believe he was in collusion with Carl Empey to entrap Mark Walker."
Ellis, who currently serves as chief deputy state treasurer, said he'd heard about the complaint Walker, a two-term state lawmaker from Sandy, plans to file next week.
"I don't know what he's basing the misuse on," Ellis said. "And entrapment would have to involve him committing an illegal act."
The relationship between the pair has grown increasingly adversarial since Ellis filed a complaint with Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert in late May, alleging that Walker offered him a job and jump in pay to drop out of the race. Walker denies the charge.
A recently obtained e-mail from Empey, a Zions Bank executive who served as intermediary in the March exchange between Walker and Ellis, corroborates Ellis's allegation.
That complaint - asking Herbert to rule on whether it merited further investigation by the Attorney General's office - stalled when Herbert decided to postpone action until after the primary.
On Thursday, Ellis chose another avenue for recourse, asking the Attorney General's office to appoint independent counsel to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, Ellis and Walker are each making their final push to reach voters over the weekend. Last-minute methods include signs, radio and print ads, literature drops and phone trees.
KUTV Reporter Rod Decker invited both candidates to appear together on his half-hour "Take Two" program this Sunday at 10 a.m. To date, no debates have been held between the two.
While Ellis accepted Decker's invitation and will appear on the show, Hunter said that Walker will likely not be there.
"He has church engagements on Sunday," Hunter said. "That's a major priority in his life."