SALT LAKE CITY — The candidate who stirred a controversy at the Republican State Convention over the 2nd Congressional District nomination acted irresponsibly in leveling charges against four other candidates, alleging a plot to thwart the election bid of eventual nominee, Chris Stewart, an investigation by the state party chairman has found.
Thomas Wright, chairman of the state GOP, released a seven-page report Tuesday after an investigation into the bizarre events at the April 21 state convention where Stewart won the nomination on the third ballot, emerging as the victor in a field of 11 candidates.
Wright’s probe levels some harsh criticism at Eureka Mayor Milt Hanks, a candidate for the nomination who stirred the controversy in the first round of speeches. Hanks alleged that four candidates — Chuck Williams, Cherilyn Eagar, Howard Wallack and Dave Clark — approached him at the Davis County party convention and asked that he pledge his support for any candidate other than Stewart if any of the candidates were to drop out of the race, and secondly that he engage in a last-minute act of negative campaigning to uncover what they alleged were misleading statements by Stewart.
