Breaking: Herbert Picks State Rep. Spencer Cox As New Lieutenant Governor

GOP "moderate" Gary Herbert  appoints another political "moderate" to the Utah Lt. Governor Post

Amidst a all the WCF-sponsored  hullabaloo, and on the heels of way too much silly Utah media speculation, here's the latest good news for Utah GOP moderates, and a kick in the head to the science denying, religious wacko GOP Utah Tea-party corporo-fascists, as they watch in awe, whilst  Governor Gary, the "bane" of  Utah Right Wing  wackos, appoints another fellow  GOP "moderate" to the second most powerful Utah executive government position, and decides to fill the soon-to-be-vacant Utah Lt. Governor post with a fellow Utah Non-tea Party moderate:

• Herbert picks state Rep. Spencer Cox, as new lieutenant governor
• Herbert Taps Freshman Lawmaker as New Lieutenant Governor

This is one Lt. Gubernational appointment which we'll be loving to watch, as the Utah GOP tea-party nitwits, and other wackos in the Utah religiouislature ultimately decide whether to approve this
GOP "moderate" appointment.

No doubt about it.  The progress of this appointment-pending will be interesting to watch.

Salt Lake Tribune: Lt. Governor Bell Calling It Quits - Updated

Perhaps it's time for beleaguered Attorney General John Swallow to start thinking about the long-term pecuniary benefits of private sector employment himself?

Interesting story from the Salt Lake Tribune, reporting that Utah Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell, freshly "cleared" of criminal allegations by the Davis County Attorney's office, seems also to be "freshly cured" of his motivation for public service, and is flying the financially-stifling coop of Utah government, and re-entering the private sector:

• Utah Lt. Gov. Greg Bell to step down, return to private sector

"Bell, a former real estate attorney, said the recession took a toll on his [real estate] industry, creating financial strain. That and the need to shore up his footing for retirement — he turns 65 next month — prompted him to make the move," the Trib's Robert Gehrke reports.

Bell currently brings down a measly "$104,000 plus benefits," according to Mr. Gehrke's story.

The pending question:  Which fat-cat Utah real estate lobbying firm will soon be adding Mr. Bell to their payroll?

Special note to beleaguered Attorney General John Swallow:  Perhaps it's time to follow Lt. Governor Bell's lead, and start thinking about the long-term pecuniary benefits of private sector employment yourself.

Just a helpful thought from yer old pal  Rudi.

Update 9/18/13 6:15 a.m.: The Standard provides a followup story, rife with speculation about possible candidates for Lt. Governor Bell's replacement:

• Top of Utah candidates lining up to replace Lt. Gov. Bell

State Senator Stuart Reid? Give us a break!

Greg Bell Local/Federal Investigations: Here Comes the Damage Control - Updated

Sadly for poor old John Swallow however, he's not "feeling any GOP love" at all

In the wake of yesterday's disturbing Standard-Examiner story, revealing that Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell is under investigation by local and federal prosecutors for abusing his executive power concerning a Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS)  child-welfare investigation, here comes the predictable damage control, via the Salt Lake Tribune (of all places):

State senators on Friday were vouching for the honesty and character of Lt. Gov. Greg Bell, a former Senate colleague who now finds himself ensnared in a federal probe after intervening in a child-abuse investigation and pushing for an audit of the case.
"If I were to put it in transportation terms, I believe that Greg Bell is so straight, you could use him as a template to stripe the freeways with," said Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, who succeeded Bell. "I hope there’s no foundation to these allegations."
Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, said Bell was an "outstanding" senator and "was one of the top people as far as doing the right thing."
The senators’ vocal backing of Bell echoes supportive comments Thursday from Gov. Gary Herbert, who called Bell "as honest as the day is long."

Read up, folks:

• Ethics bill emerges in wake of probes of Utah Lt. Gov Bell, Swallow 

Sadly for poor old John Swallow however, he's not "feeling any GOP love" at all:

It also presents a stark contrast to the lack of support received by new Attorney General John Swallow, who is also the target of a federal investigation for his involvement with a Utah businessman, who was under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, and for other campaign fundraising issues.
"We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with Greg Bell," said Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan. "We don’t have that same relationship with John Swallow."

A cynic (like us) would suggest that Utah GOP insiders are circling the wagons around Lt. Governor Bell, and getting ready to throw Attorney General Swallow under the bus, que no?

And there's more. Lt. Gov. Greg Bell said Friday that he was "merely trying to get to the bottom of "conflicting claims" in a child-abuse case with a performance audit he ordered in 2011," (when he unleashed the intimidatory power of the State Auditor's office in an alleged attempt to derail the subject DCFS investigation):

• Utah Lt. Gov. Bell says he was just seeking truth about DCFS case

And why was the Utah Lieutenant Governor meddling in this single DCFS investigation?

Friday evening, state Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, criticized any comparison of Bell to Attorney General John Swallow — who also is under investigation by the FBI — because "what Greg is accused of doing is trying to help a friend and neighbor."

Suggested new theme song for "friends and neighbors" of Utah GOP elected officials:

• Friends and Neighbors Theme Song

And the beat goes on...

Update 2/23/13 12:00 p.m:  There's more on this story from the Standard-Examiner.

For the first time, Bell's purported "retaliation" against DCFS is explicitly mentioned:

• Bell defends his intervention in DCFS investigation

And the Standard provides more on the above-mentioned GOP legislative faction's "Greg Bell Love-fest":

• Legislators rush to Bell’s defense

Something's definitely rotten in the State of Denmark, wethinks.

Standard-Examiner: Greg Bell Audit Under Investigation

On a brighter note, 3 out of 5 Utah Constitutional Officers are NOT known to be currently under investigation by the FBI

At risk of coming off as arriving late to the party, we'll note that the Standard-Examiner reported this morning that yet another Utah GOP elected official has landed in the legal hotseat, as the Davis County Attorney and the FBI look into allegations that Lieutenant Governor Bell had a "personal interest" in a Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS)  child-welfare investigation and improperly "tried to derail it with an audit of the way the case was handled":

• Greg Bell Audit Under Investigation

And now there's more breaking news from the Standard, datelined Friday, 02/22/2013 - 4:02 p.m., reporting that it was one of the Governor Herbert's own cabinet members who ratted out Bell:

• Cabinet member says Bell used audit to try and derail child-abuse case

Oh my. Taking Utah Attorney General John Swallow's legal troubles into account, all signs point to a banner year and a full employment economy for Utah defense counsel (and government prosecutors) this year, no doubt.

On a brighter note, 3 out of 5 Utah Constitutional Officers are NOT known to be currently under investigation by the FBI.

Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle WCF Readers.