(KCPW News) Salt Lake City Councilman Soren Simonsen claims the criminal charges he’s facing in the state of Washington won’t impact his ability to serve on the city council. The Salt Lake Tribune reported the councilman was charged after breaking a window to remove a personal item from a cottage his former business partner was renting.
“It’s certainly an issue that’s taking me some time to work through, but I don’t think it in any way affects my ability to complete my responsibilities on the city council, and regardless of the outcome, I don’t think it affects my ability to serve from a legal standpoint,” Simonsen told KCPW.
Simonsen has apologized for the incident, but stated that he entered the property believing it was registered to his business, and that he is innocent until proven guilty.
Fellow city councilman J.T. Martin says the public will have to wait until after Simonsen’s court hearing in Washington next month to determine whether he can still be an effective council member.
“I think his constituents will probably be the ones behind making that decision,” said Martin. “I’m looking forward to finding out the truth, because there seems to be some major inconsistencies between the stories that I’m hearing.”
Simonsen, who’s an architect by trade, was re-elected to a second term in 2009. He represents Sugar House and surrounding neighborhoods on the city council. His business partner was Salt Lake City Planning Commissioner Kathleen Hill.
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