On June 13, 1976, Howe was arrested in Salt Lake City on misdemeanor charges of soliciting sex for hire after propositioning a police officer posing undercover as a prostitute. As a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints representing a district where most voters were members of the church, and amidst a rash of other congressional scandals in the summer of 1976, Howe had maintained that politicians' private moral behavior was relevant to their public service. Howe claimed that he was innocent, a victim of a politically motivated "set-up." He retained the endorsement of local Democratic officials as he'd already been nominated at the party convention. Despite the party's efforts, he refused to step down, and the state Democratic Party executive committee then voted to co-endorse Daryl J. McCarty as a write-in candidate. Howe ultimately lost reelection to
Republican Dan Marriott in November 1976. == Later career ==