Auditing concerns that surround the Mountainland Applied Technology College have touched off rumors of political favors, rumors that are being forcefully denounced by those involved.

Clay Christensen, MATC president, and Rob Brems, president of the Utah College of Applied Technology and the former president of MATC, were placed on a paid leave of absence last week.

Both actions were triggered by an audit of MATC that found "significant deficiencies in the management of funds and policies" at the school, according to a statement from the state board of regents. The audit is expected to be released as early as Wednesday.

The rumors came in the form of an anonymous phone call to Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, suggesting that Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, exerted political pressure to get a parade float project worked on by MATC students.

Dmitrich is the co-chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee. Bramble is the other co-chairman.

After a brief investigation, Dmitrich said, the rumors were dismissed as untrue.

"From our involvement, I'm satisfied there's nothing wrong with one of our members," he said.

The story begins with Bramble having what he calls casual conversations with Don Ipson, CEO of DATS Trucking, and later with Christensen. The former conversation was about finding some equipment to build a parade float for the Utah County Republican Party. The latter was about a possible MATC class project to refurbish that equipment.

Ipson is also the chairman of the UCAT board of trustees and could not be reached Monday by the Daily Herald.

When the county Republican Party received the chassis, there was some discussion about where to get it fixed up, including at UVSC or MATC, said Rep. Becky Lockhart, R-Provo.

Requests were sent out, and MATC said they could do it. When the chassis was delivered, Lockhart said she was adamant that the party pay full price for the work.

"We told them 'We will pay whatever it takes. Don't give us a discount on anything,' " she said.

But when the chassis was ready, Lockhart said she got a call saying that the cost of the work was anonymously donated.

Shortly after, Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, was approached by State Auditor Auston Johnson, who had questions about the chassis project. During the June 19 legislative interim meetings, Bramble, Lockhart, Valentine and Johnson made a conference call to Christensen to get an explanation. Christensen could not be reached by the Daily Herald on Monday for comment, but Valentine said that Bramble's story of a casual conversation was corroborated by Christensen.

"Christensen was pretty well backing up what Bramble was saying," he said.

Bramble said Monday it was his understanding that the auditing questions related to the chassis have to do with time cards of those who worked on it. All parties involved said they are waiting for the audit later this week that could detail any offenses by Christensen, Brem or others.

Lockhart, who said the party used the float during parades in July, also railed against the rumor mill, especially when the audit is so close.

"I'm just flabbergasted at ways people connect dots," she said.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.