(Image Source: DeseretNews.com)


BY MILA MIMICA

ANCHOR ANTHONY MARTINEZ

Utah Mayor Mike Winder revealed last week he has been contributing positive articles about his city to a local newspaper. KTVU has the details.

“Winder said it was actually easy to do. The local newspaper recently cut staff and started accepting free-lance articles, so Winder submitted his articles online.”

Winder came clean about his alter-ego reporter persona and apologized for his actions. Portland’s KPTV has Winder’s statement.

“I feel bad, I’m sorry to the residents of West Valley City. I feel I’ve let them down. My motives were pure. Many residents of my city share my frustrations. I was just trying to bring balance to the news coverage.”

According to CNN, Winder contributed articles over a span of two years to Deseret Connect, a free-lance newspaper, under a fake name.

“That photo supposedly of Richard Burwash, turns out the mayor found it on Google images. It belongs to Peter Burwash, not Richard. Peter is a Canadian coach and motivational speaker.”

Peter Burwash tells Salt Lake City’s KSL he “doesn’t want to be a jerk about it,” but Winder owes him an apology.

“He's got some problems on his hands here. I'm very disappointed someone would do that. I'm not a famous person, but I'm on the Internet a lot, I have a very large international company ... This won't go away. I'm disturbed.”

Matt Saunders, Director of “Deseret Connect” says Winder went to great lengths to develop the Richard Burwash persona.

“I think that the check list we went through is extensive and the hoops that the mayor chose to go through were remarkable that he would continue to kind of perpetrate that persona.”

Ironically, mayor Winder told Deseret News earlier this year, he and other city officials were introducing a government transparency standard.

"In our free society, the people should have information relating to how they are governed ... and they should have a government that is open, accessible, transparent and honest."