The Utah Attorney General’s Office is accusing a recently re-elected Salt Lake City school board member of trying to bribe his opponent in this year’s election.
Mohamed Baayd joined the Salt Lake City School District’s Board of Education in 2021 and ran for re-election in November. He defeated his only challenger, Russell Askren, with 64.22% of the vote.
The indictment filed on Dec. 2 in the Third District Court accuses Baayd of committing bribery in elections, a third-degree felony.
According to court documents, Baayd and Askren met up at a coffee shop on March 7, 2024, at Baayd’s request.
“Baayd told Mr. Askren that he knew a councilmember position was going to open in two years and that he was planning to run and had a very good chance of winning,” the charging documents read. “Baayd stated that it was important for him to remain in his current position and asked Mr. Askren to withdraw from the election and allow Baayd to be re-elected.”
If Askren dropped out, Baayd allegedly offered to advocate for Askren to replace him on the board if Baayd won the council seat and left his four-year term early. If that happened, Baayd said Askren would complete the last two years of Baayd’s school board term and then could run as an incumbent in 2028.
“Baayd told Mr. Askren that for the next two years he would involve Mr. Askren in the work of the board and make sure he got to know all the members of the board and the district superintendent.”
A few days later, charging documents state a text message was sent to Askren to follow up on the offer.
“Mr. Askren responded that he would be ‘continuing his campaign’ and that ‘withdrawing in exchange for your support and help to position me for a mid-term appointment’ was something he did not want any part of,” according to charging documents.
The Salt Lake City School District declined to comment.
Baayd, in a text message to KUER, said “Based on the advice of counsel I’m not commenting on the case at this time other than to say that I’m an innocent man, and am entitled to the presumption of innocence under the Constitution, and I look forward to my day in court and to continuing to serve the community to the best of my ability.”
State law says a person may not “give, offer, or promise any office, place, or employment, or to promise or procure, or endeavor to procure, any office, place, or employment, to or for any voter, or to or for any other person, in order to induce a voter to vote or refrain from voting at any election; induce any voter to vote or refrain from voting at an election for any particular person or measure; or obtain the political support or aid of any person.”
