As Williams has made ethics the centerpiece of his campaign, he wanted to be able to call out Morley on his charter school legislation and a recent filing from the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking $3 million in what it calls "ill-gotten" money from Morley.

"We need to repair the damage done to our communities due to our conflicts of interest," Williams said. "We need to regain the public trust."

Mediator Chad Bunn warned both candidates at the event in Spanish Fork High School to follow Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment of never speaking ill of a fellow Republican or else he would "shut down" the meeting.

While Williams was able to make indirect comments about charter schools and the SEC, he didn't get to point out Morley's involvement in either.

"I wanted to say more, but I didn't want the meeting to get shut down," Williams said.

In a post-meeting interview, Morley said the money mentioned in the SEC filing is his and that he had the right to withdraw it from an investment firm.

"I want to express my appreciation for being able to serve you for the past six years," Morley told the crowd of about 30 delegates. "I have done nothing to violate the public trust."

Delegates will choose which candidate will continue on in the race when they meet on April 26 in the Utah County Republican Convention.

smcfarland@sltrib.com