SALT LAKE CITY-In news released Thursday, former Utah Attorney General John Swallow wants his job back.
He will be going against incumbent Sean Reyes, whom, incidentally, was appointed in Swallow’s stead in 2014, by Utah Governor Herbert. This followed Swallow’s arrest on the heels of his resignation amid allegations of public corruption in July 2014. Other candidates include Utah County Attorney David Leavitt and Democrats Greg Skordas and Kevin Probasco.
Following his resignation, Swallow insisted he was innocent. He then experienced a litany of investigations which prompted criminal charges. These included bribery, making false statements and the misuse of public money.
In 2017, a state jury acquitted him after a month-long trial.
These probes included his dealings with St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson, who is presently imprisoned.
Johnson asserted that Swallow was involved in a plan to bribe a U.S. senator to thwart a federal investigation into Johnson’s Internet marketing company.
Johnson solidified his claims by providing a secret conversation he had with Swallow at a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.
This accusation, along with others related to campaign finances led to federal, state and local investigations.
A Utah House special committee investigation also followed.
The probes ultimately led to Swallow’s arrest, along with that of his predecessor Mark Shurtleff.
Each of them were charged with multiple felonies.
Allegations from prosecutors state that Swallow was part of a conspiracy with Shurtleff and the late Tim Lawson to extort money and favors from wealthy businessman Marc Jenson.
Jenson had reached a play-in abeyance deal with the attorney general’s office.
Jenson paid for the three men to visit the luxurious Pelican Hill resort of Newport Coast, Calif. where he lived.
During this getaway, prosecutors alleged that Swallow illegally accepted the use of a houseboat, lied in a deposition and an FBI interview, omitted financial information from a candidate declaration form and had the state pay for a broken screen on his personal laptop.
Other assertions include him reportedly taking a bribe through a campaign fundraiser held by a couple who had filed a mortgage foreclosure lawsuit against Bank of America.
In the mortgage foreclosure lawsuit, the attorney general’s office intervened.
Shurtleff faced many of these same charges, but prosecutors dropped them before going to trial.
Via FaceTime Thursday, the officer administered the candidate oath to Swallow, per state elections director Justin Lee.
