Salt Lake City school board member Mohamed Baayd was charged Monday with trying to bribe his election opponent to drop out of the race months before Baayd handily won his seat in November.
Baayd faces one count of bribery in elections, according to charging documents. Despite the third-degree felony charge, the school board cannot remove the elected incumbent — or any board member — from the board under state law, said Salt Lake City School District spokesperson Yándary Chatwin. The district declined to comment Tuesday on Baayd’s case.
In a text late Tuesday afternoon, Baayd told The Salt Lake Tribune he’s declining to comment other than to say he’s “an innocent man.”
The Utah attorney general’s office asserts in charging documents that Baayd on Feb. 20 first texted his opponent, Russell Askren, asking to “meet up and talk.” The two agreed to meet at a coffee shop March 7.
At the coffee shop, the opponents discussed their families, schools, motivations and worries before “the chit chat ended,” charging documents state.
That’s when Baayd is accused of telling Askren that a “councilmember” seat was expected to open in two years, that Baayd was planning to run for it, and that he “had a very good chance of winning.” The documents did not specify what council Baayd was referring to.
In the meantime, Baayd told Askren that he felt it was important for Baayd to stay on the school board, charging documents state. He then allegedly asked Askren to “withdraw from the election” so Baayd could be reelected as an unopposed candidate.
Baayd added that he would involve Askren in the school board’s work and ensure he gained relationships with its members and the district superintendent, charging documents state.
Then, if Baayd was elected to the “councilmember” position down the line, he said he would push for Askren to take his place on the Salt Lake City Board of Education, allowing him to run as an incumbent in 2028, the documents note.
Baayd gave Askren until the end to of the week decide, state prosecutors say. On March 10, Baayd sent Askren a text that read: “Following up on our meeting and the offer on the table. What have you decided?”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Salt Lake City school board listens during a school board meeting at the Salt Lake City School District building in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
Court documents indicate that Askren responded by saying that he had no interest in the offer.
“I am entitled to the presumption of innocence under the constitution,” Baayd told The Tribune in his Tuesday text. “I look forward to my day in court and to continuing to serve the community to the best of my ability.”
Askren on Tuesday said he “has no comment at this time.”
The court issued a proposed summons for Baayd to appear at Salt Lake County jail, but as of Tuesday afternoon, the order had not been signed by a judge. The jail’s roster as of Tuesday afternoon did not list his name.
The Salt Lake City School Board held a regular meeting as planned beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening. Baayd was in attendance but arrived about 10 minutes late.
In the first hour and half of the meeting, the board made no mention of the felony case against Baayd. One speaker addressed the board during public comment, but their comments did not pertain to Baayd.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City school board member Mohamed Baayd listens during a school board meeting at the Salt Lake City School District building in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
State law does not preclude individuals charged with or convicted of felonies from running for public office, said Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman.
November’s election results have been certified, Chapman added, and Baayd’s case has no bearing on the results.
Baayd defeated Askren with 64.22% of the vote. He initially ran for the Precinct 5 seat in 2020 against Dorothy Draper, winning with 68% of the vote.
Though school board members cannot vote other members off their board, the board could vote to censure Baayd, said Chatwin, with the Salt Lake City School District. There are also other actions the board could take, including asking Baayd to resign or banning him from school property.
For instance, in 2021, when former Salt Lake City school board member Joél-Léhi Organista was arrested and accused of downloading child pornography, the board asked Organista to resign. They also banned him from school grounds before he was formally charged.
Organista quickly agreed to step down. A year later, he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to federal child pornography production and distribution charges. He was also required to register as a sex offender and must complete 15 years of supervised release after his incarceration.
— Salt Lake Tribune staff writer Paighten Harkins contributed to this report.
