Friday, October 08, 2010

An Old Utah Political Tradition, The Filing of Spurious Pre-election Lawsuits

Ahhhh... Utah General Election politics... always so civil and genteel

With a mere 25 days remaining before the November 2 Utah General Election, Utah political operatives engaged this week in an old Utah political tradition, the filing of spurious pre-election lawsuits:
Democrats take campaign finance fight to Utah Supreme Court
Interesting background data from the Tribune sidebar, demonstrating that the failure to file financial financial disclosures isn't an exclusively Republican county party problem:
71 » Percentage of major county political parties that didn’t file financial disclosures due Aug. 31.
29 » Percentage of parties that did file.
22 » County Democratic parties (out of 29) that missed the filing deadline.
19 » County Republican parties (out of 29) that didn’t disclose their finances.
Source: Salt Lake Tribune research
And in the midst of a spirited Utah gubernatorial campaign wherein Democratic Party challenger Peter Corroon has pretty much kept Republican Governer Gary Herbert on his heels regarding "questionable campaign donations," one opportinistic veteran Salt Lake County GOP party hack indulges in a little self-indulging political payback:
Former GOP leader sues Corroon alleging he violated county campaign laws
In Ius Voco Spurius, as the old saying goes amongst experienced litigators...

Ahhhh... Utah General Election politics... always so civil and genteel.

Update 10/12/10 8:00 a.m.: Paul Rolley has more on James Evans's pattern of filing frivolous lawsuits:
Paul Rolly: More campaign frivolity from James Evans

10 comments:

Danny said...

This seems like an underhanded and childish effort by a party has-been to say, "Oh, yeah? Same to you!"

Herbert drags his stench behind himself. So this loser sues Corroon to suggest Corroon is impure as well.

It shows that some local party officials not only are corrupt, they don't even know the difference between that and honesty.

They guy who filed this lawsuit is totally gone. Anyone who knows him should back away from him slowly.

ozboy said...

Don't know if he has come into compliance with the law yet, but a couple of years ago it was known that Godfrey and his top henchmen in Ogden City Government had never filed conflict of interest papers as they are required to do under state law. They basically were openly thumbing their noses at said laws.

Biker Babe said...

But ... here in Ogden ... not so very long ago ... a one Mr. David "on purpose" did not file his financial disclosure on time ... and was disqualified from the race ... ipso facto ... and Statim, even

... and with a very quiet "exit stage left, even" ... a'la Snagglepuss

js
BB

Bob Becker said...

This Yellow Dog Democrat's position on meeting disclosure deadlines for campaign funds/expenditures:

The rules should be enforced, impartially, on all and swiftly for non-compliance. Dems, Reps, Monarchists, Patrick Henry Anti-Constitutionalists, whoever. The fact that compliance with the campaign reporting laws in Utah is so lax year in and year out across party lines, and results in (a) a slap on the wrist, sometimes but not often or (b) a waving of the AG's Magic Legal Wand to "cure" failures to comply retroactively is a good measure of how little importance the legislature and executive branches place on ethical [not to say legally dicey] conduct by the pols.

Danny said...

Biker Babe,

It was one, Mr. David Phipps.

Anybody know if he still lives in Ogden?

He only moved here to sop up some Godfrey dollars and run for city council as a rubber stamp for said Godfrey.

I assume he has now left the scene as so many Godfrey immigrants have done, once the teat to which they were attached ran dry.

viktor said...

Danny & BB

The short and foolish magic carpetbagger ride of one Mr. Phipps was laid to waste by the investigations and diligent actions of several WCF readers in concert with Niel Hansen. Some down and dirty research was done and the man who would be Council member was exposed for the flake and election law scammer he was. He took the easy way out and missed the filing deadline which, as pointed out, resulted in his getting booted from the race before he and his mentor Godfrey were totally and completely embarrassed at the polls.

This of course paved the way for the Blair guy to slide into office unopposed which may have been the only way he could have been elected considering his complete lack of personality and presence. Since his election to the council, Mr. Blair has obtained the distinction of being the only completely invisible member of that body in it's history. Even though he is the original Mr. Nowhere man, he is still better than having another Godfrey shill on the council. His actions so far seem to secure for him the position of Ogden's own straw man as he doesn't seem to have a brain, which of course works well with the no personality and invisible things he has going in spades.

althepal said...

Geebus, Victor, have you had your rabies shots lately? Yes, Bart Blair is a complete wimp; but he's no worse than some of the other sackless Ogden Council members (take Caitlin Gochnour, for instance.)

We'll definitely have our work cut out for us in the 2011 municipal election.

It's time to start organizing and lining up potential candidates right now!

Whatever happened to to that "Jennifer person," BTW?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I totally disagree.
Bart Blair is about business, the business of being an informed vote on the council, reading and speaking with constituents about material facts and opinions.
I will admit, circumstances required steep a learning curve as far as Roberts, the actual council flustercluck, whatnot. But, I would rather have him quiet unassuming, and learning, than to have some blow-hard entrenched opposition. So, even though his votes and mine might have differed here and there, I nevertheless know that his decisions were pretty well thought out and square.

Did you see some of the options? I think Blair is a win for the city.

Ray said...

Comment bumped to front page

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