SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Utah’s attorney general has questioned the
morality of the state’s congressional delegation and asked for
signed declarations of marital fidelity.
The accusations by Utah Attorney General Jan Graham, the only Democrat elected to statewide office, have been denied by the most prominent member of the delegation — Sen. Orrin Hatch. The governor and all members of Congress are Republicans and active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Graham has asked each of Utah’s three members of the U.S. House and
two members of the Senate to sign a declaration that they have always been faithful to their spouse.
The delegation includes Rep. Chris Cannon, a member of the House
Judiciary Committee and now appointed to serve as one of 12
prosecutors for the impeachment trial in the Senate.
Hatch has been specifically targeted by Graham.
Late last night Hatch expressed dismay that Graham was pursuing the
issue.
“That’s just dumb,” said Hatch. He said that efforts to find sexual
immorality in the lives of Republicans was an unwise approach to the
current challenges in Washington over the impeachment issue.
“That’s just throwing gas on the fire,” he added. Hatch says he has never been unfaithful to his wife and that asking the Utah delegation to sign such a declaration is “just plain dumb.”
Rep. James Hanson has recently said publicly that he expects Hatch to make an announcement in January that he will be running for president. Hatch remained aloof on the subject.
“Right now I’m running for re-election,” said Hatch. “We’ll see what happens,” he added.
His staff members would not speak on the record, but confided that Hatch has been planning a run for president for some time. They acknowledged he may be using Hanson to test the waters and determine if there would be support for a potential candidacy.
Hanson, Cannon, and Rep. Merrill Cook could not be reached for comment. Sen. Bob Bennett was also not available at press time.
David M. Bresnahan, a contributing editor for WorldNetDaily.com, is the author of “Cover Up: The Art and Science of Political Deception,” and offers a monthly newsletter “Talk USA Investigative Reports.”
He may be reached through email and also maintains a website.
