The rapid fall of a GOP rising star
Out as Utah’s attorney general after 10 months, he now stands trial in a corruption case
As John Swallow stood before family and colleagues at a swearing-in ceremony inside the marble rotunda of the Utah Capitol in 2013, many viewed him as a rising star in the Republican Party.
Charismatic and ambitious, Swallow had served three terms in the state House and now would become Utah’s 20th attorney general.
“He had what seemed to be everything going for him,” recalled state Rep. Paul Ray, a Republican from Clearfield, about 30 miles north of Salt Lake City. “Little did I or anyone know it was about to end.”
Indeed, 10 months after his swearing-in, Swallow resigned his position amid a flurry of corruption allegations. Now, nearly four years after becoming the state’s top attorney, Swallow is at the center of what experts say is unprecedented in Utah — a high-ranking state official facing multiple felony charges.
Prosecutors in Salt Lake City, where Swallow’s criminal trial began this week, allege he was a part of a scheme that dates to 2008. At the time, Swallow worked as a deputy attorney general under state Atty. Gen. Mark Shurtleff, who was in his final term after more than a decade in office. Unsurprisingly, he was regarded as Shurtleff’s heir apparent and easily won election.
Swallow, 54, is charged with a pattern of unlawful activity during that time, which, among other things, consists of money laundering, accepting improper gifts and soliciting a bribe — all second-degree felonies. Moreover, he faces three counts of evidence tampering, obstruction of justice and misuse of public money, which are all third-degree felonies.
Authorities said Swallow in effect hung a “for sale” sign on the door of the attorney general’s office. Claims by former employees that Swallow had received improper gifts and extorted from businessmen, among other things, began to pile up shortly after he took office.
This led to an inquiry by a House Ethics Committee, which in March 2014 released a 200-page report that said, “Swallow and others responsible for the abuses described” must be held accountable for their actions.
Shurtleff also faced criminal charges, but prosecutors dropped them last year, citing his cooperation in their investigation.
For his part, Swallow has maintained his innocence, calling the charges politically motivated.
But some Utah political observers bristle at that notion. “This seemed to be clearly a guy who felt because of his status, he could get away with anything,” said Carter Livingston, the vice president of the Utah offices of Strategies 360, a political firm with offices nationwide. “He might have got a little cocky.”
In one instance, prosecutors allege, Swallow accepted a dozen gold coins from a payday loan titan, which were valued at $17,000.
LaVarr Webb, a longtime political strategist in Utah, said the case has led to murmurs about other politicians who could be involved.
“These were some top guys allegedly doing some really criminal stuff,” said Webb.
In the case against Swallow, prosecutors say he bragged about being able to influence powerful people — even boasting that he could help bribe then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Prosecutors never implicated Reid, and the retired Nevada Democrat’s office has called the allegations false.
Jeremy Johnson, the onetime owner of the multimillion-dollar online marketing company iWorks, who is now in prison, is among the prosecution’s top witnesses. In 2010, Johnson said, he provided rides on a private plane and houseboat trips to Swallow and his family, which were improper gifts.
Johnson, a big political donor in Utah, became acquaintances with Swallow when the politician served as deputy attorney general. Over the years, Johnson donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans in the state.
In March 2016, a Utah jury convicted Johnson of eight counts of making false statements to a bank in connection with iWorks. He’s currently serving an 11-year sentence.
On Thursday, Marc Sessions Jenson, another Utah businessman who is a prosecution witness, testified that he paid tens of thousands of dollars in expenses for Swallow and his family members to vacation in 2009 at the posh Pelican Hill resort in Orange County, Calif. In exchange, he said, Swallow and Shurtleff said they would help resolve a 2005 securities fraud case Jenson was battling, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Swallow’s trial is expected to last most of February and include testimony from nearly 120 witnesses, including Shurtleff and current House Speaker Greg Hughes.
“This really has just been a mess for the state,” Webb said. “People are looking around like, ‘Where did this come from?’ ”
In Utah, Republicans dominate the state Legislature and governor’s office, like Democrats in California. The state has not voted for the Democratic presidential nominee since 1964, making it among the reddest of states in the country.
Rep. Ray, a lifelong Republican, said he and many conservatives in the state will be watching the trial closely. When asked whether he had seen any scandal of this size in Utah, Ray paused to think about it. “No, not at all,” he said. Swallow, he added, “was really on the rise. If anything … this can make politicians realize they’re not invincible.”