This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I wish I could say it was unthinkable that a chief deputy attorney general of Utah would even talk to someone about "lobbying" on his behalf much less take money to do so. Sadly, nothing about the John Swallow case surprises me.
Utah's "leaders" are as ethically clueless as old boys' clubs come, indicated by the fact that they have yet to demand Swallow's resignation for being a disgrace, whether or not he's also a criminal.
Shame on Gov. Gary Herbert.
Shame on House Speaker Becky Lockhart, Senate President Wayne Niederhauser and other members of Utah's House and Senate.
Shame on Utah's Republican Party.
Shame on all of you for sticking by your party rather than the people, who elected you to exemplify the best, not the worst, that Utah has to offer.
And shame on Swallow for putting profit above responsibility to the people. If he is indicative of the celestial kingdom he claims to know so much about, honest folk have a better chance for a fair deal in the other place.
God knows they won't get justice while he's attorney general.
Ed Firmage Jr.
Salt Lake City