Today's Reason for Government Distrust: Two Former Utah AGs Nabbed for Corruption

Allegations range from accepting bribes to destroying evidence

SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah Attorneys General John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff were charged Tuesday and arrested on allegations ranging from accepting bribes to destroying evidence.

Both were arrested at their Sandy homes by members of the FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety and they arrived at the Salt Lake County Jail shortly after 8 a.m.

The state's former top law enforcement officers were charged in 3rd District Court with pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony; and three counts of receiving or soliciting bribes by a public official, a third-degree felony.

In addition, Shurtleff was charged with illegally accepting gifts or loans, a second-degree felony; and two counts of receiving bribes by a public official, a third-degree felony; witness tampering, a third-degree felony; tampering with evidence, a class A misdemeanor; and obstruction of justice, a class A misdemeanor.