Find Attorney General Candidate Jean Welch Hill on Facebook
Showing posts with label Jean Welch Hill for Attorney General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jean Welch Hill for Attorney General. Show all posts
Monday, August 04, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Jean Welch Hill's New Campaign Office is located at...
The Historic Walker Mansion
(Across the street from the Governor's Mansion)
610 East South Temple
Suite 40
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
801-548-8579
(Across the street from the Governor's Mansion)
610 East South Temple
Suite 40
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
801-548-8579
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
From Jean Welch Hill's Blog: Shurtleff and Education Funding?
I realize it may not be a smart political move to direct people to my opponent's website, but I must say, Mark has one of the saddest posts on his site that I have ever seen.
He has put together a 23 SECOND video on education funding. Anyone who has ever paid even the slightest attention to education funding can tell you there is no possible way to say anything meaningful on the topic in 23 seconds, and Shurtleff's video proves them right.
He has put together a 23 SECOND video on education funding. Anyone who has ever paid even the slightest attention to education funding can tell you there is no possible way to say anything meaningful on the topic in 23 seconds, and Shurtleff's video proves them right.
More...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Amicus Candidate Spotlight
Jean Welch Hill
- Website: www.jeanwelchhill.com
- Blog: Justice For All
- On YouTube.
- On ActBlue.
I believe the attorney general is a watchdog, protecting the public interest and ensuring the highest ethical standards throughout state government.
As attorney general, I will advocate for stronger ethics legislation. For the past nine years, I have prosecuted educators who have violated the ethical standards of their profession, preventing those who fail to meet the standards from teaching in this or any other state. I will bring this experience to the role of attorney general to ensure public officials fulfill the ethical duties of their offices.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
The Attorney General and Conflicts of Interest
By Jean Welch Hill
Utah Democratic Candidate for Attorney General
Weber County residents were likely surprised when, earlier this week, they learned that the Weber County Attorney had been asked to investigate whether laws had been broken during the contentious Republican primary race for Utah Treasurer. This is unusual, since neither of the candidates (Mark Walker and Richard Ellis) live or work in Weber County. None of the alleged misdeeds occurred in Weber County, either.
Weber County residents were likely surprised when, earlier this week, they learned that the Weber County Attorney had been asked to investigate whether laws had been broken during the contentious Republican primary race for Utah Treasurer. This is unusual, since neither of the candidates (Mark Walker and Richard Ellis) live or work in Weber County. None of the alleged misdeeds occurred in Weber County, either.
So why is the Weber County Attorney involved, you ask?
The reason is that the person normally responsible for investigating such cases – Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff – has an unmistakable conflict of interest. The attorney general is unable to do his job, and the Weber County Attorney is forced to pick up the slack. And that’s a shame.
Here is the back story. Treasurer candidate Mark Walker allegedly offered his opponent in the primary election, Richard Ellis, a bribe to get out of the treasurer’s race. Such an offer would violate Utah law. Utah’s Lieutenant Governor undertook an investigation and referred the case to Attorney General Shurtleff immediately after the polls closed.
And there lies the problem. Despite the allegations of misconduct and the possibility of an investigation by the attorney general’s office, Shurtleff wholeheartedly endorsed Walker and hosted a fundraiser for him. Having so clearly taken sides, it would be impossible for Shurtleff to make an impartial assessment of the case on the merits. Shurtleff himself seems to have acknowledged this, by appointing the Weber County Attorney as special counsel in the matter.
If this were a single oversight, it would be regrettable but possible to overlook. People make mistakes. But this is not the first time Shurtleff has allowed politics – and particularly political fundraising – to jeopardize his ability to serve as a watchdog of the public interest. Consider two other prominent examples.
Radioactive Waste. One of the most dire problems facing the state is the issue of radioactive waste disposal. As is now well known, EnergySolutions hopes to dump tons of overseas nuclear waste at its facility in Tooele County. A bipartisan coalition led by Gov. Jon Huntsman and U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson is battling the EnergySolutions scheme.
A primary thrust of Utah’s anti-radioactive waste effort has come through its position on the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management. Utah is a member of the Compact, and Utah’s representative recently cast a decisive vote against the EnergySolutions project. But in a virtually simultaneous action, EnergySolutions filed suit claiming that the Compact lacks authority over the radioactive waste facility in the west desert. Needless to say, if we are to avoid becoming the world’s dumping ground for radioactive waste, Utah will need the most aggressive and vigilant legal representation.
And there lies the problem. During his two terms in office, Shurtleff has taken more than $45,000 in campaign contributions from EnergySolutions, its predecessor Envirocare, and their corporate executives.
Shurtleff is on the fence, with a huge campaign donor on one side and the citizens of Utah on the other. This should never have happened. When it comes to an issue of such unparalleled importance, it is simply unacceptable for Utahns to be uncertain about where our attorney general’s loyalties lie.
Payday Lenders. Another policy issue that has been squarely in the public eye is the proliferation of payday lenders in Utah. These businesses often charge interest rates as high as ten percent – per week! That can amount to an annual interest rate of more than 500%. Many desperate borrowers find themselves unable to repay their loans, and end up owing even more to collections agencies. Yet Utah remains one of only seven states with no laws that would prohibit loans with such exorbitant interest rates. We need leadership at the state level to enact sensible laws to prevent predatory lending practices.
And there lies the problem. Shurtleff has taken no less than $70,000 from payday lending companies and their representatives during his time in office (including over $30,000 since January of this year) creating yet another problematic conflict between his political aspirations and public responsibilities.
Our attorney general should be educating the legislature about the perils of payday lending operations and advocating for sensible regulations to protect the public. In contrast, Mark Shurtleff has been one of the payday lenders’ strongest advocates at the Capitol. Given the massive investment that the payday lenders have made in his campaign, it is fair to ask who he truly represents, those who voted for him or those who paid him to run.
All candidates must get involved with fundraising. But the attorney general is an officer of the court and the paramount defender of the public interest. Utahns have every right to demand that their attorney general conduct his political affairs with a vigilant eye towards avoiding potential conflicts of interest. For without a change of behavior in the attorney general’s office, voters in Weber County and across Utah will continue to find themselves disappointed and disenfranchised by unnecessary conflicts of interest.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Pay day Lending and Liquor Stores
Democratic Candidate for Utah Attorney General
As I was driving home yesterday, I heard an interesting radio ad from a pay day lender. After touting the virtues of overpriced loans, the ad ended with the comment "always use pay day advances responsibly."
This struck me as very simlar to the comments made at the end of beer and other liquor commercials that end "please drink responsibly."
And that's when the idea hit that perhaps the solution to pay day lending is to treat this business the same as we treat the sale of alcohol. Pay day lenders already have mark-ups on their products almost as high as the alcohol tax (though without the public benefit the alcohol tax provides since the tax pays for school lunch programs across the state), all we need to do now is limit all pay day lendors to 1 per 100,000 people, locate them in the most out of the way spots, perhaps right next to our liquor stores, or, if they are more centrally located, charge a membership fee to enter!
Okay, perhaps its not a perfect solution, but if the lenders recognize the dangers of "overindulging" in pay day loans, shouldn't they also be willing to accept some common sense protections for those who have a tendency to do so, just like our local bars, taverns, and clubs?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
From City Weekly: The $50,000 Question: Utah’s attorney general explains campaign donations received from company his office investigated for fraud
By Eric S. Peterson
Posted 06/19/2008
Jean Welch Hill, Democratic challenger to Republican heavyweight Mark Shurtleff, believes it’s time she took over as the state’s attorney general. Hill counts many reasons why she should get the seat, including Shurtleff’s courtship of the payday-loan industry and his conflict of interest in investigating the alleged bribery charges of political ally Mark Walker in the treasurer’s race—and now she can count at least 50,000 more reasons.
That’s one for each dollar Shurtleff accepted in campaign donations from Jeremy Johnson, president of the St. George company IWorks. While Shurtleff maintains that he only knew Johnson from meeting him once at a fund-raiser last March, several attorneys at the attorney general’s office have known of Johnson for much longer. That’s because they’d been investigating his company for more than a year for allegations of fraud.
“If you’ve been involved in litigation with some company,” says Hill. “Then you ought to have the discipline to say this isn’t the best donation for me to accept.”
More here!...
That’s one for each dollar Shurtleff accepted in campaign donations from Jeremy Johnson, president of the St. George company IWorks. While Shurtleff maintains that he only knew Johnson from meeting him once at a fund-raiser last March, several attorneys at the attorney general’s office have known of Johnson for much longer. That’s because they’d been investigating his company for more than a year for allegations of fraud.
“If you’ve been involved in litigation with some company,” says Hill. “Then you ought to have the discipline to say this isn’t the best donation for me to accept.”
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
You know you've got them when they say, " "This is really just a cheap campaign ploy"
Endorsement under fire
AG's challenger says Shurtleff backing of state treasurer is an ethical breach
Shurtleff is backing Mark Walker for state treasurer; Walker is accused of bribing the opposition
By Cathy McKitrick
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:06/10/2008 10:03:40 AM MDT
Jean Welch Hill, Mark Shurtleff's Democratic challenger in the race for state attorney general, raised concerns Monday over what she views to be an obvious conflict of interest.
"By hosting a fundraiser for a candidate that could soon be under investigation by the Attorney General's Office, Mark Shurtleff has plunged his office into an obvious conflict of interest," Hill said in a news release. "His actions flunk common sense and legal ethics 101."
Shurtleff has made no secret about his endorsement of Rep. Mark Walker, R-Sandy, in his run for state treasurer. He donated $5,000 to Walker's campaign and nominated him at the state Republican convention in May.
On May 29, Walker's Republican challenger - Chief Deputy Treasurer Richard Ellis - filed a complaint with Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert alleging that Walker offered him a job and a hefty pay increase if he would drop out of the race.
On Friday, Herbert, the state's chief elections officer, said he was postponing any determination until after the June 24 primary.
That same day, Shurtleff and other powerful Republicans, including House Speaker Greg Curtis, hosted a noon fundraiser for Walker.
While Shurtleff did not attend the fundraiser - he underwent surgery that day to repair a leg injury - his campaign consultant, Jason Powers, confirmed Shurtleff's role as co-host. He said the event had been planned before Ellis launched his complaint.
"We were expecting these sorts of political tactics from Jean, but not quite so early in the season," Powers said. "This is really just a cheap campaign ploy."
Attorneys who work under Shurtleff function separately from their high-profile boss, said Paul Murphy, spokesman for Shurtleff.
"We have means to create firewalls so they can act independently on any investigation or prosecution," Murphy said. "They are merit employees who have the ability to do their jobs without political influence."
Hill, a former editorial writer and columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune, asserts that consistently lax enforcement of election laws destroys the public's trust.
"This is a pretty serious allegation. The fact that it will sit in the Lt. Governor's office is untenable," Hill said in an interview. "Both Herbert and Shurtleff dropped the ball, Shurtleff because he's too connected to the candidate."
"By hosting a fundraiser for a candidate that could soon be under investigation by the Attorney General's Office, Mark Shurtleff has plunged his office into an obvious conflict of interest," Hill said in a news release. "His actions flunk common sense and legal ethics 101."
Shurtleff has made no secret about his endorsement of Rep. Mark Walker, R-Sandy, in his run for state treasurer. He donated $5,000 to Walker's campaign and nominated him at the state Republican convention in May.
On May 29, Walker's Republican challenger - Chief Deputy Treasurer Richard Ellis - filed a complaint with Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert alleging that Walker offered him a job and a hefty pay increase if he would drop out of the race.
On Friday, Herbert, the state's chief elections officer, said he was postponing any determination until after the June 24 primary.
That same day, Shurtleff and other powerful Republicans, including House Speaker Greg Curtis, hosted a noon fundraiser for Walker.
While Shurtleff did not attend the fundraiser - he underwent surgery that day to repair a leg injury - his campaign consultant, Jason Powers, confirmed Shurtleff's role as co-host. He said the event had been planned before Ellis launched his complaint.
"We were expecting these sorts of political tactics from Jean, but not quite so early in the season," Powers said. "This is really just a cheap campaign ploy."
Attorneys who work under Shurtleff function separately from their high-profile boss, said Paul Murphy, spokesman for Shurtleff.
"We have means to create firewalls so they can act independently on any investigation or prosecution," Murphy said. "They are merit employees who have the ability to do their jobs without political influence."
Hill, a former editorial writer and columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune, asserts that consistently lax enforcement of election laws destroys the public's trust.
"This is a pretty serious allegation. The fact that it will sit in the Lt. Governor's office is untenable," Hill said in an interview. "Both Herbert and Shurtleff dropped the ball, Shurtleff because he's too connected to the candidate."
cmckitrick@sltrib.com
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)