Workman to face trial

Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman will face trial on charges of misusing public money and gave the first indication after her preliminary hearing Monday that her re-election bid may be over.

"I can't answer that right now," she said Monday when asked if she would withdraw. "Come to the meeting tomorrow."

She referred to a meeting tonight of Salt Lake County Republican leaders who will discuss Workman's situation and are expected to decide on a write-in candidate.

Previous times when asked if she is dropping out of the race, Workman had always answered with a firm "no."

In Monday's preliminary hearing, the evidence presented suggested that the trial's outcome might hinge on a crucial "he said/she said" conversation with a county employee.

Third District Judge Robert Hilder bound Workman over for trial after the daylong preliminary hearing. He set Oct. 18 for an arraignment — an extremely late date for the mayor, who is hoping to get a trial completed before the Nov. 2 election.

Workman is charged with two counts of misusing public monies, one a second-degree felony and the other a third-degree felony. The preliminary hearing was to determine whether special district attorney Mike Martinez has "believable evidence" to support the charges.

"The standard for preliminary hearings is pretty low, (so) this was certainly not unexpected," Workman attorney Greg Skordas said of the case advancing toward trial.

Prosecutors allege that Workman improperly arranged for the Salt Lake County Health Department to pay part of an accountant's salary at the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Valley, where her daughter, Aisza Wilde, was employed as chief financial officer.

The prosecution's star witness was a visibly nervous David Marshall, the county's chief administrative officer, who testified Workman led him to believe during a brief conversation in June 2003 that Workman met Alina Iorga at a community meeting and wanted Iorga hired as a temporary health department "community liaison."

Marshall testified that Workman told him she wanted Iorga to be her "eyes and ears" in the community, checking out what barriers existed for minorities to obtain health care. The mayor would supervise Iorga herself and sign Iorga's time sheet. He said she mentioned nothing about the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Had he known of the true nature of the position, Marshall said, he would not have arranged it, or done it a different way.

"Was it lawful?" Martinez asked him.

"No," Marshall answered.

"Violated county policy?"

"Yes."

"State statute?"

"Yes."

Several witnesses from the county and the Boys and Girls Clubs testified at the hearing, but before the matter blossomed into an investigation, except for Wilde no one but Marshall had spoken with Workman personally about how the job should be configured.

Comments