- Webster's New World College Dictionary
Witch hunters, such as Utah's Rep. Michael Noel, R-Kanab, are in the business of making their enemies appear guilty in order to encourage others to treat them as criminals. No evidence of wrongdoing is necessary, only guilt by association.
Noel considers the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance his enemy, and he is the leader of a witch hunt to prove the nonprofit environmental organization guilty by its association with two former SUWA officials who have been convicted of securities fraud.
Never mind that the federal Securities and Exchange Commission could find no link between the criminal activities of former SUWA trustee Bert Fingerhut and treasurer Mark Ristow and SUWA's finances. Noel and his vigilante posse of 45 other members of the Utah House have demanded SUWA hand over detailed information on bank records and other investment transactions within 30 days.
The ridiculous demand, in the form of a letter that has no legal force, was backed, during a confrontational news conference called by Noel, by the threat of a subpoena or request of an attorney general investigation.
Noel has implied that SUWA attorney Stephen Bloch is a liar. Last week, Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, demanded Bloch be sworn before he spoke to a legislative committee while oil and mining industry representatives were not required to take an oath.
The whole unsavory thing is just the latest volley in a useless vendetta waged by Noel, who has for years fought restrictions on gas and oil drilling and motorized recreation, against SUWA, which fights to protect federal lands.
His accusations placing the whole organization in the shadow of the two former SUWA leaders are groundless and really have nothing to do with the fraud convictions. Noel's attack was prompted by the reintroduction in Congress of the Red Rock Wilderness Act, which seeks protection of 9 million acres of wilderness in Utah.
Noel can't besmirch current sponsors of the legislation, Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., so he is taking out his rage on SUWA.
That outrage is misguided. He should stick to relevant issues, not guilt by association.
