I understand that Utah Sen. Kirk A. Cullimore works full time as a lawyer. If the claim that his law firm works with 80% of the landlords in Utah and is providing quality service is correct, I applaud him. Unfortunately, he is a senator and if The Tribune is correct (Feb. 27 and July 19), then his work as a senator is in conflict of interest with his job. He will need to either avoid participating in legislation that affects his business or resign as a senator.
I have been a government worker for 24 years, and it’s the practice in this profession, even elected offices, to refrain from conflicts of interest. Penalties for abusing one’s position range up to termination and in some cases financial penalties. The penalties are severe in some cases so people can trust the government and discourage office abuse of power.
His point of helping landlords apply for government funding in case tenants skip out or damage apartments is valid. I have a bachelor’s degree in business and understand profit margins are thin, so grants to small business landlords are good. What I am concerned about is his ethics, such as serving paperwork at addresses former tenants have not lived in years, etc., as mentioned in the July 19 article.
His constituents should also watch closely his actions, and if his ethics do not improve, I hope that he is voted out of office in 2022.
Bill J Gropp Jr., Draper
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