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PROVO -- A group of Provo residents has filed a conflict-of-interest complaint against City Councilman Steve Turley, alleging that the councilman used his public position for personal economic gain.
In a letter delivered Friday to Provo Mayor John Curtis and the Utah County Attorney's Office, the group lists several properties for which they say Turley used his office for personal benefit or to negotiate for land swaps. The letter, signed by 23 Provo residents, also lists properties, corporations and land negotiations for which the group alleges Turley failed to disclose his involvement or failed to do so in a timely manner.
We believe Mr. Turley has lowered the bar for ethics in Provo city government, and we see no way that the bar can return to its formerly high standard - unless Mr. Turley is held accountable for his actions.
–Letter from Provo residents
"Mr. Turley is in a position of public trust," the letter states. "We maintain that he has abused that trust and in so doing he has not only failed to serve his constituents throughout Provo, but he has used his position to further his own business dealings in a manner that has violated state law, caused great harm to many individuals and shocks the conscience."
In the letter, the group asks Mayor Curtis to conduct an internal ethics violation.
"We believe Mr. Turley has lowered the bar for ethics in Provo city government, and we see no way that the bar can return to its formerly high standard - unless Mr. Turley is held accountable for his actions," the letter states.
Reached by phone Saturday, Turley said he had not yet seen the letter or the included list of allegations, but he welcomed an investigation.
"I have disclosed absolutely everything that I've been involved with," he said. "There are standards set that those of us in public office have to comply by. Those standards are clearly spelled out, and I've been absolutely running my life according to those standards."
Turley said this isn't the first time conflict-of-interest allegations have been made against him during his seven years in office.
"It sounds like these are the same old recycled issues that have been brought up a number of times," he said.
Diane Christensen, a spokeswoman for the group, said a binder with more than 400 pages worth of information supporting the allegations against Turley has been turned over to the Utah County Attorney's Office. It's more likely, though, that the investigation will need to be initiated by the mayor, Christensen said.
The group met with the mayor and representatives from the county attorney's office Friday, and another meeting with Curtis is scheduled for early next month, she said.
"We've been putting this together for months," Christensen said, referring the group as "loosely organized."
"We're just a bunch of people with a common concern," she said.
E-mail: jpage@desnews.com
