But the embattled county mayor, who faces two felony charges of misuse of public money in another scandal, blames county staffers for not listening to the consultant - whom she calls a common friend.

Even so, the District Attorney's Office reportedly is investigating the hiring of Mark Hofstetler, whom Workman awarded a no-bid contract a year or two ago and was paid $7,500 with taxpayer money for his consulting.

Workman, who is on paid leave but continues her re-election efforts, said Sunday she didn't do anything wrong.

"We spent a lot of time just going through the Web site and [discussing] what could happen," Workman said, adding that her chief administrative officer, David Marshall, and chief information officer, Darren Franchow, wouldn't listen to Hofstetler's suggestions.

Still, Workman acknowledged the work wasn't completed. "I don't think we should have paid him quite as much," she said. "I do regret that. I don't think he should have got paid the full account."

The Republican mayor, who is seeking a second term in the Nov. 2 general election, said she wanted to make the county's Web site more interactive and liked Hofstetler's ideas. He never produced a written report, but Workman said he did some work for the contract.

Hofstetler could not be reached for comment, and Franchow did not return calls. Marshall declined to talk about the contract.

Democratic District Attorney David Yocom - who Workman has alleged is on a political vendetta to ruin her - also declined to discuss the contract probe, citing policies that forbid talking about ongoing investigations.

The mayor faces a preliminary hearing today on second- and third-degree felony charges that she skirted safeguards and laws to tap Health Department funds to hire two successive bookkeepers to work at the nonprofit South Valley Boys and Girls Clubs, where her daughter, Aisza Wilde, is chief financial officer. Workman concedes there was a paperwork mistake, but says that she did nothing criminally wrong.

Yocom filed the charges against the mayor after an independent, bipartisan panel of prosecutors found evidence to support two criminal charges. The district attorney, who says he is doing his job and not playing politics, has handed the case off to special prosecutor Michael Martinez.

Martinez said Saturday the Hofstetler contract was not part of his case. "It's nothing I have to do with," he said, noting he had no information about it and was not planning to present in court today.

But the fact the contract came to light right before the preliminary hearing has some suggesting it is a distraction or politics.

''I think it's just, 'Let's set a bomb off over here so they're not looking at what's going on over there,' '' Workman said, noting that she believes there will be "positive" things coming out in court today.

Workman attorney Greg Skordas - who also is the Democratic candidate for Utah attorney general - said that, as with the Boys and Girls Clubs funding, there is nothing criminal with the contract's handling. "I don't think this one is criminal at all," Skordas said.

He added that prosecutors have not provided him with any information about the contract investigation.

University of Utah political scientist Tim Chambless said Sunday the development is potentially damaging.

"There's the appearance here of poor judgment, mismanagement and maybe even wrongdoing," Chambless said. "We're less than a month away from the election in which the voters will render their verdict. This does not help her."

tburr@sltrib.com