But she did not commit any crimes, her defense attorney told jurors Wednesday, the first day of Workman's trial for allegedly misusing public funds.

Defense attorney Jack Morgan said there was a misunderstanding between Workman and her top lieutenant, David Marshall, about "loaning" a county employee to the South Valley Boys and Girls Clubs, where Workman's daughter was chief financial officer.

Morgan said that initial miscommunication with Marshall, Workman's chief administrative officer, was followed by "a series of missteps," problems Workman was never made aware of until after a criminal investigation was launched.

"There was no conspiracy," Morgan insisted.

Workman relied on Marshall, whom Morgan called the "go-to" guy in Salt Lake County government, the ultimate "fix-it" man.

But inevitably, Morgan said, "the ball is going to get dropped" in a county with 900,000 residents, a $750 million budget and 7,000 public employees.

The undisputed result: $17,000 in county health department funds were paid to two successive bookkeepers who worked solely for the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Special prosecutor Michael Martinez told jurors that while $17,000 may not sound like a lot of money, the real issue is that Workman violated her oath of office by doing a favor for her daughter.

Martinez said Workman "blurred the line" between her responsibility as the mayor and her duty as a mother.

In June 2003, Workman's daughter, Aisza Wilde, complained to Workman that she would lose a trusted assistant, Alina Iorga, at the clubs unless she could give Iorga a raise.

Workman suggested loaning her daughter a county employee, Martinez said. But Wilde wanted additional cash so she could keep Iorga, whom Wilde had befriended.

Soon after, Workman met with Marshall about the matter.

Marshall testified at an October preliminary hearing that Workman talked about hiring someone to be her "eyes and ears" in the community. According to Marshall, Workman said nothing about the Boys and Girls Clubs, but specifically mentioned that the employee would do health work.

Marshall authorized the creation of a "community liaison" who would be employed by the health department and report directly to the mayor, according to the charges.

Days later, at Wilde's direction, Iorga became a purported employee of the county health department.

Iorga had been paid $8 an hour for 10 hours a week at the Boys and Girls Clubs, but was soon receiving an additional county check for 40 hours a week at $10 an hour.

When Iorga quit several months later, her successor, bookkeeper Jennifer Schroder, also became a county employee, and also double-dipped by receiving paychecks from the county and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Martinez noted that Workman personally signed Iorga's and Schroder's time sheets.

"They are the only time sheets she signed in four years," Martinez said. "Week after week after week, she signed for two people she didn't know, knowing they were working for her daughter and knowing they were being paid by the county."

During questioning by Martinez, Wilde explained broaching the subject of Iorga with her mother, and her mother's response that she would "see if [the county] could cover [Iorga's] salary."

Wilde then "nagged" her mother for more than a week about speaking to Marshall, she testified.

Workman finally told Wilde that the county "could put Alina on the payroll" to work at the Boys and Girls Clubs, Wilde testified. But Workman added that she would reserve the right to use Iorga for county duties.

Her mother then told Wilde to send Iorga to see Marshall's assistant to complete the employment paperwork.

Wilde said she increased Iorga's hours on the Boys and Girls Clubs' time sheets to 15 hours a week. That, combined with the county paychecks, meant Iorga was earning the equivalent of $13 an hour for a 40-hour workweek.

Asked what the county got from the arrangement, Wilde answered: "Safer streets, smarter kids and better kids."

Wilde denied personally benefiting from having a full-time assistant.

The trial continues today.