A New Bill That Is Tough To Swallow
The Utah House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would prevent any elected official or political appointee who is convicted of a crime from accruing retirement benefits after the date the law was broken, allowing it to apply retroactively, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
The bill would effectively strip former Attorney General John Swallow of his state pension if he is convicted. Swallow was charged in 3rd District Court with 12 felonies and two misdemeanors, including multiple counts of receiving or soliciting bribes, accepting gifts, tampering with evidence, obstructing justice and participating in a pattern of unlawful conduct.
Swallow was the subject of investigations by state and federal law enforcement, the Utah House and the Utah lieutenant governor’s office when he announced he was stepping down, but he made his departure effective the day he became eligible to collect a state pension of about $12,000 a year once he reaches retirement age.
Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, who was defeated in his re-election bid because of a barrage of attacks from a shadowy dark money group tied to Swallow and fueled by payday lenders, supported the bill. “Without further comment, I just want to say: I really love this bill,” said Daw, who won the seat back last year
