Former Attorneys General John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff made their first appearances in a Salt Lake City Court this week.
Swallow and Shurtleff’s Wednesday morning court appearances were brief; both men maintained their innocence.
The two were arrested on July 15 and charged with a combined 23 counts, ranging from accepting bribes and tampering with evidence to the misuse of public money.
Shurtleff, a Republican, served three terms as Utah’s attorney general. Following his 12 years in office, Swallow, also a Republican, was elected for the position in 2012; however, he resigned in November 2013, citing personal and financial strains stemming from an ongoing investigation into his conduct as the reason for his resignation.
According to media reports, both men will be filing motions to have their cases tried separately.
Prior to his court appearance Wednesday, Shurtleff’s daughter tweeted a picture of herself and her father holding a sign that read "#Justice".
A hearing has been set for Aug. 18 with 3rd District Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills.