News broke earlier this week that a government watchdog organization called the Campaign for Accountability is asking the Attorneys General in Utah, Montana, and Arizona to investigate Utah State Representative Ken Ivory—the lead proponent of giving away our public lands to the states—for fraud.
The complaints allege that Ivory “falsely claim[s] [that] the federal government can be forced to transfer public lands to the states.” And, as the Salt Lake Tribune reported, the crux of the complaint is that Ivory:
… uses phony facts and arguments to scam local governments into giving taxpayer dollars to American Lands Council (ALC), the nonprofit he started in 2012 to champion the transfer of Western public lands to states.
The American Lands Council’s most recent tax forms show that $157,378 of the group’s $228,043 in total revenue came from member dues, made up in large part by dozens of Western counties that used taxpayer funds to become members of the American Lands Council (see the full list of counties who have paid to join here).
Also concerning is the fact that 50 percent of the organization’s budget—$114,715—went to pay the salaries of Ivory and his wife, who was employed as the communications director.
The Campaign for Accountability’s complaint adds to a growing list of ethical troubles facing Ivory and his American Lands Council. Here are three other recent occurrences:
– In Colorado, the American Lands Council is being investigated by the Secretary of State for illegal lobbying.
– In Montana, an aide to State Senator Jennifer Fielder, a vocal advocate for land transfers, was forced to resign after it was exposed that he was also working as a lobbyist for the American Lands Council.
– In Utah, Ivory previously faced questions about the “line between lawmaker and paid lobbyist” for his work sponsoring legislation in partnership with a non-profit organization run by his wife.
Not only have these ethical questions been “piling up,” but seizing and selling our American lands has been shown to be extremely costly and unpopular, and would also decrease recreational access.