The House Ethics Committee picked up speed Friday on the second day of closed-door hearings into allegations made against Rep. Greg Hughes racing through testimony from at least six witnesses.

Hughes, R-Draper, is accused of offering former GOP lawmaker Susan Lawrence $50,000 in campaign contributions in her unsuccessful 2006 bid for re-election if she would change her vote on school vouchers.

He has filed his own ethics complaint against his chief accuser, Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake, saying Riesen improperly leaked details of that and other allegations to the news media.

The committee, which met for the first time on the complaints Wednesday, didn't finish taking testimony from Lawrence until midafternoon Friday. She was the first of some 55 witnesses on a list released earlier this week.

Asked by reporters about the time it was taking to hear the complaint, Hughes attorney Thomas Karrenberg suggested the process was un-American.

"I'm a Vietnam vet. I've been shot at for this country. ... If they can't do it 'fastly,' it is not American," he said. "I'm not just talking as a lawyer. I (expletive) mean it." Karrenberg then questioned whether Riesen or others involved in the process had ever put their (expletive) "on the line."

Lawrence didn't enter the committee room until 1:30 p.m. because the committee apparently spent the morning debating procedural matters.

Karrenberg said the committee was considering his request that they consider each of the six charges against his client separately, announcing their decision on each before proceeding to the next.

"We basically think that's the only fair way," Karrenberg said. He later expressed frustration that he had not been told whether the committee had ruled on his request. Karrenberg told reporters that he and Hughes were only allowed in the hearing during witness testimony, not during deliberations.

Hughes was called to testify shortly after the committee finished with Lawrence. GOP political consultant Jeff Hartley; Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield; Rep. Kevin Garn, R-Layton, and a Democrat, lobbyist and former lawmaker Blaze Wharton, also testified.

Garn said he told the committee that he heard from Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, this summer that there could be a complaint filed against Hughes. Garn said Allen did not say then what the allegations were, but assured him she would not support making them public close to the election.

Allen participated in a Sept. 30 meeting with House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, where the allegations were discussed, reportedly to pressure Curtis into backing ethics reform. Allen, who is expected to be a witness, did not sign the complaint against Hughes.

"Of course, we see what's happening now," Garn said. "This is a big media event."

About 2:30 p.m., Riesen appeared with one of his attorneys, David Irvine, ready to testify. Riesen said he had "no idea" what he could tell the committee about the alleged offer Hughes made to Lawrence.

"All I have to go on is Susan's letter," Riesen said, referring to the document she wrote detailing her conversation with Hughes some two years ago. "I'm taking her at her word."

But the committee apparently decided not to call Riesen Friday, or the other two Democratic representatives who signed the complaint against Hughes, Roz McGee of Salt Lake and Neil Hansen of Ogden.

Karrenberg said Lawrence testified on Wednesday and today that she felt "betrayed" by Riesen making the letter public as part of his ethics complaint. The attorney also said Lawrence never used the words "bribe" or "illegal" and that she did not think Hughes did anything wrong.

Riesen told reporters, "I don't feel I betrayed her at all. The letter was addressed to 'whom it may concern."' He said he had the "greatest respect" for Lawrence, whom he defeated in 2006. "It was not my intention to embarrass her or put any undue pressure on her."

Lawrence wrapped up her testimony in about an hour and gave a brief statement to reporters shortly afterward.

"I think my part is finished. I don't think I'll be called back to testify anymore," she said, adding that because the hearing was closed, "I feel personally it would be inappropriate for me to discuss what went on."

She declined to comment on the statement attributed to her.

"They've obviously chosen a different path as far as the media is concerned," Lawrence said, calling the statement "their interpretation ... Anything you hear from anyone else is just that — their interpretation."

Hansen arrived even before the committee convened shortly after 9 a.m., ready to testify. Hansen said he planned to tell the committee of lawmakers that he, too, had been told several times that $50,000 was available for his campaign if he would support vouchers.

The difference between what he'd heard and the accusations against Hughes is that Hansen said the offer did not come directly from another legislator. Instead, Hansen said he was told "in passing" the money was merely available from pro-voucher groups.

"It's a matter of his using his position as a state representative to broker a deal, if that deal did go down," Hansen said of Hughes.

Hansen said he also intended to testify that legislative leadership likely knew what was going on. "I don't have absolute knowledge, but my guess is there's not a whole lot that goes on up here that leadership doesn't know about," he said.

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