On Monday, John Swallow, the Utah Attorney General, sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney for Utah, David Barlow, asking him to conduct an investigation into allegations raised by indicted businessman Jeremy Johnson that Swallow had helped him in bribing to quash a federal probe.
The Utah Attorney General has maintained his innocence all along, but people were raising questions, and Utah Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis had already asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint an independent special prosecutor to investigate the claims made by Johnson.
Before that happens, Swallow made his move on Monday asking the new U.S. Attorney for Utah to immediately start an independent investigation into Johnson’s allegations.
In the letter sent on Monday, Swallow wrote, “I deny that I have ever participated in a scheme to bribe a member of Congress … I expect no special treatment. I do not hold myself or anyone else above the law. … I urge your office to look into these allegations and I pledge my full support and cooperation.”
Dabakis praised the move by Swallow to request the investigation, but commented that somebody from outside the political power structure in Utah should do the investigation.
On his side, the Utah Attorney General told KUTV News, “I’m asking the people of the state of Utah to trust the person they elected and let things move forward … What I don’t want them to do is rush to judgment with one side of the story and think the worst.”
Swallow admitted, “I’m the first person to say I’m not perfect, and I try to do the best I can. Every day I make judgment calls and this is one judgment call I wish I had back.”
While Johnson has alleged that Swallow had helped him broker a $600,000 plan to enlist the intervention of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a FTC investigation into Johnson’s business, Swallow has maintained that he was only involved in connecting Johnson with people to help hire lobbyists.
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