State audit raises concerns over Utah's securities division

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An audit of the Utah Division of Securities says the agency is rife with personnel conflicts and sometimes handled cases inconsistently or inappropriately. The Auditor General's Office is calling for an overhaul of the office. The audit was requested by lawmakers after a controversy over the division's handling of a securities fraud investigation. Auditors reviewed more than 20 cases handled by the division in recent years. Among the complaints about the division was that it "used intimidation to coerce cooperation and violated settlement agreements" with people it investigated, according to the report. Rep. Jim Bird, R-West Jordan, who requested the audit, said the report confirmed complaints he'd been hearing about the department. "The audit, I think, has come back and said, 'You know, there's a huge... [read full story]