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The Salt Lake County Recorder's office may have knowingly violated the county's anti-nepotism ordinance that seeks to prevent relatives from benefiting from an officeholder's position of power, State Auditor John Dougall announced Monday.
In a review released Monday, Dougall said it was apparent that an employee – likely secretary Karmen Sanone – lived with Gary Ott, whose court-approved resignation takes effect Tuesday. The arrangement may have violated the ordinance, Dougall wrote.
Ott previously identified Sanone as his fiancée, and Dougall wrote that other high-ranking employees should have known Ott "appears to have cohabited" with Sanone.
Sanone was hired two days after Ott's 2014 re-election, during a time of interest to attorneys involved in an ongoing court case that will decide who is his guardian as he suffers from a permanent mental incapacity. Sanone was hired by Chief Deputy Recorder Julie Dole, who said she was bringing Sanone on board at Ott's request.
"We believe it was inappropriate for the Recorder and Chief Deputy Recorder to allow [Sanone's] employment to continue in the manner that it did," Dougall wrote. Dougall didn't identify any employee by name and declined through a spokeswoman to comment.
His findings come a year after county officials wrote Ott to say his apparent relationship with Sanone may have violated the same anti-nepotism ordinance.
"It is my recommendation that you remove Ms. Sanone from your direct or indirect line of supervision effective immediately," Michael Ongkiko, county human resources division director, wrote Ott April 6, 2016.
Emails obtained by The Tribune showed Dole wrote county human resources officials on Nov. 5, 2014, to say that Ott wanted to hire Sanone, effective the next day. The emails also showed, and Dougall's letter noted, that the two women communicated frequently. Sanone was involved in various high-level tasks in the office such as budgeting and lobbying legislators.
County ordinance seeks to outlaw county officers from hiring their relatives, and it defines relative as a "household member."
Sanone has been variously identified as Ott's girlfriend, fiancée, caretaker and longtime friend both by him in past court documents and by her in recent, shifting statements as she has responded to reports of Ott's well-being over the past seven weeks.
In a December 2010 affidavit Ott filed in support of Sanone in an estate case following the death of her former husband, Ott identified Sanone as his fiancée.
On June 7, the day Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams called for Ott's resignation, Sanone told The Tribune she and Ott "had a long-term friendship." Asked whether she and Ott were in a romantic relationship, Sanone said, "Nope."
But she told The Tribune in July she helped control his personal finances since before 2014 because "I think most couples do it that way."
Sanone also told The Tribune on June 7 that it was Dole, not Ott, who hired her.
"Let me be clear that it was Julie Dole that hired me, not Gary," Sanone said. "It was over his objections. He didn't want the scandal of hiring me. But they couldn't find anyone else to fulfill the duties."
In 2015 and 2016, Sanone earned $138,000 in county funds, including benefits, Dougall wrote.
Dougall said he reviewed the financial operations of Ott's office since January 2014 and found "no indication" that Ott performed any financial oversight of his office.
Dougall also wrote that there was no written proof that Ott hired Dole, who has admittedly run the office in recent years as Ott struggled with a medical condition affecting his mental capacity. He noted that "other testimony and records appear to corroborate [Ott's] intention" to hire Dole.
While Dougall wrote it wasn't clear Dole had authority to make financial decisions in the office before the Salt Lake County Republican Party chooses a replacement recorder to serve until the 2018 election, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said it appears she does, similar to the situation with Undersheriff Scott Carver taking over control pending the replacement of former Sheriff Jim Winder.
County Council Chairman Steve DeBry said he would study the issue before a Tuesday meeting.
"We're looking at it to see what in fact we should or shouldn't do based on that letter," DeBry said. "We want to make sure the continuity and functionality of the recorder's office continues until" Ott is replaced.
The central committee of the Salt Lake County Republican Party will meet Aug. 17 to choose Ott's temporary replacement.
Twitter: @TaylorWAnderson