Tribune headline: 'Utah ex-official alleges retribution behind layoff'

At The Salt Lake Tribune, there's a story quoting a former state official who says he was fired for not helping to develop a FrontRunner station -- and associated building and infrastructure -- at an important archaeological site in Draper.

Another former state official says he was laid off — more than two years ago — for getting in the way of plans to develop an ancient Indian village archaeological site for a Draper commuter rail station.


Doug Clark, who was laid off in January 2009 as the managing director of business growth for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), said he was scolded, pulled off a key project and later let go for refusing to help with efforts to allow development of the site that was favored by former House Speaker Greg Curtis.

His allegations — uncorroborated by any documentation — are denied by Curtis and Jason Perry, who served as head of GOED and, later, as Gov. Gary Herbert’s chief of staff. Perry said Clark’s layoff was strictly a budget matter.

Clark said he is coming forward now because last week, three state archaeologists were laid off. The state said it was for budget cuts, but one of the archaeologists and supporters have pointed to fallout from protecting archaeological sites threatened by development, including the site in Draper.