John Swallow Political Corruption Update: Episode XXV

It's been a real weekend feeding frenzy, to say the very least

Feeding Frenzy

To kick off the Monday morning discussion we'll refer to a further flurry of John Swallow Scandal stories which popped up over the weekend.  It's been a real feeding frenzy, to say the very least. And suffice it to say that Utah Attorney General John Swallow probably did not spend a leisurely and care-free Father's Day relaxing at home yesterday:

1) Both the Tribune and Deseret News report that convicted felon Mark Sessions Jenson says he was the victim of a “shakedown” by Swallow and his predecessor Mark Shurtleff, a claim that's reportedly corroborated by two of Jenson’s former employees:

• Businessman in prison alleges ‘shakedown’ by Swallow, Shurtleff
• Stunning court filing claims 'shakedown' by Swallow, Shurtleff
• 2 others back up extortion claims against Swallow, Shurtleff

2) A review of campaign filings shows Swallow took more than $100,000 from donors who had run afoul of state or federal regulators.  Read up, folks, this Tom Harvey SL-Trib piece is quite well-researched and thorough:

• Swallow took in $105,000 from donors in trouble with regulators

3) House Speaker Becky Lockhart "says" she wants a “robust discussion” on Wednesday when House Republicans meet (privately in "closed" causus) to consider taking action against Swallow:

• Will House vote for impeachment proceedings against Swallow?

Rep. Brian King however wants Democrats and the general public to be included in Wednesday's discussion about what to do with Swallow... while (surprise of surprises) the Utah Eagle Forum rallies to Swallow’s defense:

• Utah Dems want to join GOP talks on Swallow impeachment
• BREAKING: Lawmaker Drafts Resolution To Begin Impeachment Proceedings Against Swallow

4) Utah Policy.Com's Bryan Schott opines that "It looks like Swallow plans to lay the blame on [who else?] the media for the growing impeachment talk":

• Swallow's Strategy: Blame the Media

5) "Our scandal-laden Attorney General has been accused of just about every type of corruption under the sun, from bribing others and taking bribes, to shaking down those he was prosecuting, to filing false campaign disclosures, to abuse while in office. But while everyone is talking about the various allegations, we’re not hearing much about the worst thing John Swallow has done. And this one isn’t a [mere] allegation—it’s fact," says Utah Political Capitol, in its tantalizing lead paragraph prefacing Sunday's blockbuster editorial:

• EDITORIAL: The Worst Thing John Swallow Has Done

A Weber County Forum Tip O' the Hat to Utah Policy.com and Utah Political Capitol for slaving away over the weekend and providing material contributions to this morning's WCF post-weekend John Swallow News Roundup.

That's it for now, O Gentle Ones, although we're getting a strong psychic vibe that there are certainly more interesting news stories soon to come [wink-wink].