Former Utah Attorneys General Swallow and Shurtleff Arrested

We have been following the investigation of former Utah Attorneys General John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff. When I first met Mark Shurtleff, he was Utah Attorney General leading the case against my clients, the Brown family in the Sister Wives case. After years of abusive investigations and public statements, we challenged the state criminalization of polygamy and Shurtleff fought to defend the law. He was then replaced in the case by Swallow. Now both have been arrested and taken into custody. For the Browns who were threatened with arrest and the loss of their children, it must be a truly ironic moment.

Both men were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. Swallow was charged with receiving or soliciting bribe or bribery by public servant, false or inconsistant material statements, evidence tampering and misusing public monies.

Shurtleff previously denounced the police for their tactics in a search of his home

Swallow’s and Shurtleff’s relationship with Jeremy Johnson, a St. George businessman, is the subject of an 86-count federal indictment alleging fraud in connection with his online business, iWorks. Shurtleff alleged used Johnson’s private jet to fly to a fundraiser in California and later to fly to New York to pick up actor Vincent D’Onofrio from the TV show “Law & Order.” Now their relationship could be an episode on “Law & Order.”

Johnson and Shurtleff were then shown in a picture sitting together in Johnson’s yellow Lamborghini. Swallow also used Johnson’s luxury houseboat and Ferrari on several occasions. Other business relationships have also been the subject of the investigation as discussed by Deseret News