Prosecutors in Utah announced charges on Thursday against a man described by the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper as a friend and “fixer” for former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff (R).
The charges against Tim Lawson were the first in a scandal that brought down Shurtleff’s successor, Attorney General John Swallow, who resigned last month.
Lawson was accused of engaging in a pattern of “unlawful activity” including tax evasion, obstructing justice, and retaliating against witnesses involved in a fraud case involving a local businessman.
In addition to the allegations, the charging documents detail Lawson’s extensive connections to Shurtleff, including a trip to California the pair took in 2009 and hundreds of text messages and phone calls they exchanged.
Lawson faces maximum of up to 15 years in prison on two of the charges and five years on four of the charges. His bail was set at $250,000.
