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Charges detailed for Utah ex-attorney generals

By WTOP Staff

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — After investigating for more than a year, authorities on Tuesday arrested two former Utah attorneys general on charges of bribery, misusing public funds and other counts. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill on Tuesday laid out allegations against John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff that involve gold coins, luxury houseboats and jets and thousands of dollars in cash or campaign contributions. Swallow and Shurtleff, both Republicans, have denied wrongdoing and the accusations against them.

Here’s some highlights of the allegations:

LUXURY GIFTS

Authorities said both Swallow and Shurtleff used a luxury jet and personal property belonging to a businessman indicted on federal fraud charges. Swallow also used the businessman’s million-dollar houseboat on Lake Powell.

In another case from 2008, Shurtleff negotiated a plea deal for a Utah businessman facing fraud charges that was so lenient a judge wouldn’t accept it. After a more stringent deal was reached and the businessman was on probation, he put up Shurtleff and Swallow at a high-end Newport Beach resort and bought them meals, rounds of golf, clothing and massages, prosecutors said.

When Swallow left his job at a Utah payday loan company to join the attorney general’s office, his employer gave him 12 one-ounce gold coins, court documents said. While he was a chief deputy in the attorney general’s office, Swallow sold back the coins one or two at a time to the same former employer, receiving $17,000 in all, which is more than they are worth, Gill said.

INFLUENCE PEDDLING

In 2012, the attorney general’s office intervened in a lawsuit against a Bank of America subsidiary on behalf of thousands of Utah residents facing foreclosure. The Salt Lake City-area couple that brought the suit then spent $28,000 holding a campaign fundraising party for Swallow. The couple’s individual case was settled favorably, but Shurtleff in December directed the attorney general’s office drop the state case, despite objections from staff attorneys. Prosecutors said a division chief in the Utah attorney general’s office reported Swallow indicated to Bank of America that Utah would drop the case if the couple’s case was settled favorably. Shurtleff later accepted a position with a Washington, D.C., law firm that represented Bank of America.

PAY TO PLAY

Both former attorneys general are accused of taking at least $50,000 in cash or campaign contributions from people who came under scrutiny from their office. One businessman claimed that in 2009, Shurtleff had offered him $2 million if he stopped trying to find a suspected swindler. In 2010, a St. George businessman’s online company came under federal investigation. Authorities said he asked Swallow to secure a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Swallow responded by saying he has a liaison to Reid but it “won’t be cheap,” court documents state. The businessman later paid $250,000 to the liaison, who in turn paid Swallow more than $23,000. The businessman, who now faces dozens of federal fraud charges, claims the plot was to bribe Reid to throw off investigators. Reid and Swallow have denied that. Swallow said he was connecting the businessman with lobbyists and the $23,000 was for separate consulting work. Reid has not been implicated in the investigation.

COVER UPS

In May 2013, Shurtleff lied to FBI investigators about practices in the attorney general’s office, campaign donations, gifts and bribes, charging documents state. During subsequent state investigations, both Swallow and Shurtleff gave false information to investigators, Gill said. Swallow is also accused of destroying evidence and falsifying invoices and other documents to cover up his conflicts of interest.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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