Investigation nearly complete in state treasurer's probe
The investigation is nearly over, but Weber County Attorney Mark DeCaria and Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings won't comment on what, if any, charges will be filed or against whom. The results of their probe into the race between Republican candidates Mark Walker and Richard Ellis will be announced Oct. 14.
"We met again this morning to review evidence and will confer later this week to finalize conclusions," Rawlings said in a statement Monday.
Rawlings, a Republican, and DeCaria, a Democrat, were appointed as special counsel to look into possible violations of state election laws. Ellis accused Walker of offering to let him keep his job as deputy state treasurer with a substantial raise if he'd drop out of the race.
Ellis won the GOP primary election. He said today he had not been contacted about the results of the probe.
"I've not heard anything. I've not talked to investigators for over a month," Ellis said. He also said he wasn't sure how his campaign would be affected by next week's announcement.
Walker, a former state lawmaker from Sandy, denied any wrongdoing, saying he never offered a bribe but did say state employees would still keep their jobs if he won the November election.
Walker told the Deseret News Monday he had not been contacted about possible charges.
"I haven't. I just know they're still looking into things. That's all I know right now," Walker said, adding he expects to hear what will happen in the next week or so. "I'm just looking forward, one way or the other, to moving on."
Sources close to the investigation told the Deseret News the investigation has been exhaustive, with numerous lawmakers and high-ranking Republican officials questioned and voluminous amounts of documents to review.
The timing of the decision could factor into the election, with Ellis facing Democrat Dick Clark in November.
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com; lisa@desnews.com
Recent comments
You're making the broad assumption that Democrats are somehow more…
Re "MadMax | 11:01 p.m." | Oct. 7, 2008 at 3:38 p.m.
The controversy here is the same as the ethics charges being thrown…
MadMax | Oct. 6, 2008 at 11:01 p.m.
We need to hear the truth about this bribe scandal before the election…
Earl Hamilition. | Oct. 6, 2008 at 9:32 p.m.
