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GOP Begins Inquiry

Candidates and campaign staff in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District race were summoned to the state Republican Party headquarters Wednesday, as the party chairman began his investigation into events surrounding the implosion at the party convention Saturday.

“I don’t view it as a criminal investigation. This is just the delegates asking me as their chairman to help sort out the facts,” said Utah GOP Chairman Thomas Wright.

Candidate Cherilyn Eagar said she will meet with the party on Thursday and hopes for a fair, thorough investigation. But if the party has a conflict of interest, since Stewart is the nominee, an independent investigation may be necessary.

But Wright said he has no horse in the race and his only interest is getting delegates objective information about what transpired.

“I have made a commitment to the delegates to release to them the facts that I find,” he said. “I have no fear about releasing those. I will be honest with them and forthcoming in what I find.”

Wright said he isn’t sure how long it will take to gather information, but he won’t release anything unless he’s sure it’s accurate.

Quin Monson, a political science professor at Brigham Young University, said it might benefit Wright to get to the bottom of what happened before Democrats do, especially if there was something embarrassing.

“In that sense there is every incentive for Thomas Wright to be an honest broker here,” Monson said.

— Robert Gehrke