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TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (AP) -- Police Chief Larry Marx has been fired and claims it was because he alleged wrongdoing by Mayor Russ Wall and his wife.
Wall said no wrongdoing was found and the allegation was not the reason for the firing on Thursday.
Marx, the only chief in the department's just more than one year history, was fired one year before his contract was set to end. The city bought out the remainder of his contract.
Marx had questioned a fax that Wall's wife, a paralegal for the Salt Lake County district attorney's office, sent to her husband around May 10.
It was a police report regarding several juveniles involved in a golf cart theft and contained their names, birth dates and home addresses, which Marx said was protected information. He said distributing and receiving such information is a class B misdemeanor.
Marx said he called the district attorney's office about the fax. Wall said the district attorney's office has cleared his wife of any wrongdoing and there is no investigation is pending.
District Attorney David Yocom declined comment.
Marx said he and Wall did not get along and it began when Wall became mayor and asked the chief to promote two of Wall's friends.
The mayor said he tried to settle the differences, but it didn't work out.
"The chief works at the will of the mayor, and I want a new chief," Wall said.
Marx began his career in law enforcement in 1978 with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. He served with that agency for 22 years, retiring as captain over the detective division. Marx then worked as chief investigator of the state Bureau of Investigation.
Marx said he will try to find a job with another department.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
