Utah attorney general announces resignation

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Attorney General John Swallow announced Thursday that he is stepping down amid multiple investigations of bribery and misconduct that have hounded him ever since he took office at the beginning of the year.

Swallow discussed his resignation at a news conference as he vigorously denied breaking any laws and said the strain of the investigations had become too much for him and his family.

"Now is the time for the madness to stop and for the state to move forward. The toll on my family, the toll on my office and the toll on our finances has been too much. It is time for it to stop."

It marked a stunning fall for a politician who was elected with nearly two-thirds of the vote one year ago and seemingly had a bright political future. But within his first week in office, accusations surfaced that the Republican engaged in questionable financial dealings with a businessman under federal investigation for fraud.

More at http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/crime/article/Utah-attorney-general-announces-resignation-4998047.php .

Cross-posted at LBN.