John Swallow News Roundup - - Episode XXXVIII: Dotting the I's, Crossing the T's and Other Swallow-related Scuttlebutt - Updated

Special Legislative Session

There's of course more live action a-plenty in the John Swallow Three-ring Circus this morning, as the Utah Legislature "meets in a special session today to clarify the powers of a special House committee investigating Attorney General John Swallow and create exemptions allowing some of the panel’s work to be done [surprise of surprises] behind closed doors":

• Legislature to meet in special session to define powers of panel on Swallow - Tribune
• Legislative leaders expect little debate at special session - Deseret News
• Big Decisions Coming in Swallow Investigation - Utah Policy

Journalistic heavyweight Bob Bernick expounds upon the mind-boggling technical legal intricacies, as Utah lawmakers huddle up in special session this morning:

• Lawmakers Try to Anticipate Challenges from Swallow Investigation - Utah Policy

Even whilst labelling John Swallow "the poster child symptom of a cancer on our body politic," former Utah House Rep. David Irvine, in this too good to miss Trib op-ed, nevertheless argues that the pending Swallow "impeachment inquiry looks like a $3 million dry hole":

• Utah’s $6 million man - Tribune

Lisa Riley Roche and Dennis Romboy dive in with both feet with an examination of the competing interests of public "openness and transparency," vis-a-vis the "practical reality" that certain aspects of these proceeding will be unavoidably conducted "behind closed doors":

• How much of Utah House investigation into Swallow will be public? - Deseret News

Robert Gehrke observes that "[m]embers of the House investigative committee will engage in a high-wire act, of sorts, as they probe allegations of misconduct by Attorney General John Swallow":

• Utah House’s Swallow panel to walk fine line of openness vs. integrity - Tribune

Former Utah House Rep Fred Cox wonders whether it's a good idea for John Swallow's attorneys to be "flipping off the House," and then goes on to anwser his own question with a resounding YES!

• Random thoughts on the last 3 letters to the House from Swallow attorney - Fred Cox

Utah blogger and all-around political gadfly Daniel Burton goes off on Mr. Cox's "flipping off the House" tangent, but arrives at an opposite conclusion, i.e., that whatever Swallow's lawyers are "intending to do," it’s "not winning Swallow friends in the legislature and seems calculated to push and shove, not persuade and entice":

• Swallow’s attorney wants subpoena power…before his client is charged? - Publius Online

Adding to the excitement, sideshow-style, "the expanding scrutiny of Swallow will take major steps on two fronts this week: First, House Speaker Becky Lockhart is expected to appoint members of a special House committee to investigate the state’s top cop, and second, The lieutenant governor plans to name a special counsel to probe questions surrounding Swallow’s campaign-financial disclosures":

• Two Swallow probes about to make major advance - Tribune

We'll be standing by with updates of today's House proceedings folks.  So be sure to check back for any updates which may roll in.

Update 7/17/13 3:31 p.m.:  Utah Policy's Bob Bernick reports that "[b]y the hair of his chinny-chin-chin Utah House Majority Leader Brad Dee got the critical bill of Wednesday’s special legislative session out of a hearing committee this morning, so that a special investigation of GOP Attorney General John Swallow can go forward without more delays":

• Bill Authorizing Swallow Investigation Barely Survives Legislative Committee

Looks like regular Chinese Fire Drill up there on The Hill, dunnit???