Walker Remains in the Hotseat: Criminal and Ethics Investigations Pending

Will Representative Walker rat out "Mr. Big?"

On the heels of yesterday's news, concerning the ongoing turmoil surrounding the now concluded State Treasurer's GOP primary race, reporter Jesse Fruhworth jumps into the fray, with this morning's informative Standard-Examiner article, adding tantalizing details which were unavailable yesterday. The plot thickens, per Mr. Fruhworth's paragraphs below:

BOUNTIFUL — Five lawmakers who have called for an ethics investigation of a Republican legislator want to know: Who is Rep. Mark Walker’s powerful friend?
Three Democrats and two Republican representatives have asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether Walker violated ethics rules connected to bribery allegations in his unsuccessful bid for the state treasurer’s nomination. The group of five also want the Ethics Committee to find out “whether another unnamed legislator colluded with Walker.” [...].
Walker was defeated in the Republican primary this week amid allegations of election law violations made by his opponent, Richard Ellis. Currently the chief deputy state treasurer, Ellis accused Walker of offering him a pay raise and promising to retain him in his current position if he would drop out of the race. [Emphasis added]

Mr. Fruhworth provides further detail, including choice quotes from Ogden's own Legislative District 9 State Representative Neil Hansen:

Walker had to forgo a re-election bid for the House to run for treasurer. Some legislators are trying to expand the ethics investigation to include more than just the lame duck.
The group of five lawmakers seized on one comment in Ellis’ affidavit in particular.
“(Walker) also told me he could ‘make it happen’ and that he had talked with ‘the person’ who could make it happen,” the affidavit states.
Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, wants Walker, under oath, to tell them who that person is.
“Who are the people who are behind this? Who knew it?” Hansen said. “If (Walker) has nothing to hide, if he feels nothing is wrong, he needs to name who was with him in trying to do this. … It has to be somebody with very powerful means who can garner the votes to make it happen.”
Hansen said the list of possible identities of “the person” is long, but he believes the person must be a legislator who could increase the treasurer’s office budget.
Hansen said the group calling for the ethics investigation — Hansen, Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful; Steve Mascaro R-West Jordan; Rosalind McGee, D-Salt Lake City; and Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake City — feels an obligation to protect the integrity of the House of Representatives.

The article also clarifies Attorney General Shurtleff's position about whether his office will look into Walker's possible criminal culpability in this matter:

The Utah Attorney General’s office reversed course Thursday and said it will initiate a criminal investigation of Walker after all.
In a news release, the attorney general’s office said Walker would be guilty of a misdemeanor if the accusations are true. Republican Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings and Democratic Weber County Attorney Mark Decaria have been appointed to investigate.

And there's this additional wrinkle which is most likely giving Mr. Walker additional heartburn:

The complaint from the five representatives also requests a ruling on whether Walker’s vote to increase the salary of the treasurer’s position two years prior makes his own run for that seat a violation of House ethics rules.

This story is developing more plot twists than a dime novel. We'll certainly be sitting on the edge of seats, waiting to find out whether Mr. Walker will rat out "Mr. Big."