Former Utah Attorneys General Shurtleff and Swallow arrested on 23 corruption counts

Former Utah Attorneys General Mark Shurtleff and John Swallow were arrested by FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety agents on 23 combined felony and misdemeanor charges including bribery, accepting gifts, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, and racketeering. Prosecutors alleged both men accepted at least $50,000 in cash and campaign contributions from individuals facing regulatory scrutiny, including use of businessman Jeremy Johnson’s private jet, St. George mansions, and Lake Powell houseboat with helipad in exchange for legal opinions enabling online poker transaction processing. Swallow allegedly fabricated documents and systematically destroyed evidence through deleted emails, wiped hard drives, and damaged cellphones and iPads. Despite what investigators called “the most sweeping political scandal in Utah history,” no elected officials faced prison: prosecutors dismissed Shurtleff’s case in 2016 citing a narrowed Supreme Court bribery ruling, and a jury acquitted Swallow in 2017. Utah taxpayers ultimately paid over $10 million for prosecutions and approved a $1.5 million settlement for Swallow’s legal fees after acquittal. The scandal exemplifies systematic pay-to-play corruption in state attorney general offices where elected prosecutors leverage law enforcement authority for personal enrichment, followed by minimal accountability through case dismissals and jury nullification despite overwhelming evidence of misconduct.