Kelly Ann Booth says she was unaware that her former fiancé, Steven Maese, was criminally charged or that he ran The Doll House escort service until just a few weeks ago, and she has since broken off the engagement and they have gone their separate ways.

But her yearlong relationship with Maese has become an issue in the campaign among delegates who have had tough questions.

"My goal when I speak with delegates is to be as forthcoming as I can and open about this," Booth said in an interview. "Love is a difficult thing. If the delegates would like to choose me based upon who I fell in love with, I suppose that could be an issue, but I have a decade worth of community service and . . . good public works that they should look at."

Maese said he would not discuss the couple's private lives, but he does not think his past should be an issue in Booth's campaign.

"This is guilt by association. There are no allegations of impropriety on Kelly Ann's part," he said.

Booth was a favorite to win the Democratic nomination, and likely the House seat in the Democratic district. She has endorsements from party heavyweights, including Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Salt Lake County Council members Jim Bradley, Joe Hatch, Jenny Wilson and Randy Horiuchi and a number of state legislators.

State party Chairman Wayne Holland said it will be up to the delegates to decide whether Booth's relationship with Maese matters.

"The delegates deserve to know, they have a right to know, whatever the truth may be," said Holland. "They should know the whole truth, what's going on, and we trust they'll make the right decision."

Maese was charged in October 2006 with running a prostitution ring out of The Doll House escort service. The charges allege that he encouraged women to engage in sex acts with clients and received a share of the payment. He is scheduled for a trial Wednesday on six felony counts.

Booth says she broke off her engagement with Maese and severed their business relationship "a couple weeks ago," after she became aware for the first time of Maese's ties to the Doll House.

"I didn't know the full nature of his involvement," she said. "I've broken off the engagement. We are not dating. He is not part of my campaign."

Maese was the co-owner of the Doll House until late last year, when he said he sold the business, although his name was listed on corporate documents until March 5, when he filed papers with the state to dissolve the company.

Former Salt Lake County prosecutor Kent Morgan has been fired for allegedly leaking confidential information to Maese about his case. Morgan adamantly denies that is the case and says Maese is a friend.

Maese and Booth met and began dating in early 2007, and Booth announced her engagement on her campaign blog last January.

"A lot has happened in life since my last post [including getting engaged]," she wrote above a picture of her gazing at her engagement ring. She removed the post this week.

When Booth announced her candidacy for House District 28, hoping to succeed Rep. Roz McGee, who is retiring at the end of her term, Maese's name and cell phone number were listed as the campaign contact.

Booth said she believed Maese ran a marketing business and had been to his offices and met some of his clients.

The marketing company and the holding company for his escort service happened to be in the same Midvale office complex as a company registered with Booth as a member, Nursing Services 1, LLC, according to corporate records. In January, Maese and Booth tried to go into business together, applying with the state to start a certified nursing assistant training program for high school students, but the application was rejected and they abandoned the plan.

During the past legislative session, Booth said she put an attorney she knows in touch with lobbyist and former legislator Steve Barth to lobby for the repeal of Utah's so-called stripper tax - a 10 percent tax on escort services and strip clubs.

A draft of the bill with the repeal was circulated on Capitol Hill, but was quickly killed, said Andrew McCullough, a lawyer who represents various adult-oriented businesses.

Booth said she personally was not involved in the issue, and it originated after Maese had sold off his interest in The Doll House. She added that she has not done any lobbying or taken any money from businesses that would have been affected.

"If you want to talk about the issues, I have a demonstrated record of work on education issues, ethics issues, campaign finance reform, some environmental issues," she said. "I've done nothing I'm ashamed of and I think I should be judged on that, and not someone else's choices in the past."