Jazz fans may have noticed a prominent Utahn hanging out with star center Rudy Gobert this weekend — Utah’s top law enforcement official.
Photos posted on Gobert’s Instagram account show Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes was among those in attendance during an event this past weekend.
However, the photos are no longer included in Gobert’s post, and it’s not clear why. Messages to Gobert’s agent and the Utah Jazz front office were not returned as of Thursday evening.
Screenshots of the Instagram photos were posted to Twitter by Emily Means, a politics reporter at KUER, Salt Lake City’s NPR affiliate. The series of screenshots show Reyes and Gobert shaking hands and posing for a photo at Mac’s Place, a private club in Salt Lake City.
...did anyone else see Rudy Gobert's Instagram post that appears to show him and AG Sean Reyes at a party for a Cognac brand?? pic.twitter.com/I8lOIH5ro0
— Emily Means (@Em_Means13) June 21, 2022
In a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, Alan Crooks, a general consultant for Reyes who has served as his campaign manager in the past, confirmed Reyes attended a party with Gobert over the weekend.
“Sean Reyes is good friends with Rudy Gobert,” Crooks said in the statement. “Saturday, he attended a party celebrating Rudy’s role as North American (Cognac) Frapin Ambassador. Sean Reyes does not drink, nor did he drink at the event.”
Gobert has been the North American ambassador for Cognac Frapin, a spirit company based in southwestern France, since July 2021, according to the company’s website.
Publicly available campaign finance reports show that Reyes’ campaign has paid Mac’s Place a total of $400 over the course of five transactions since April. A 2021 year-end report indicated Reyes’ campaign reported spending over $4,700 at Mac’s Place.
The post from Gobert still appears under Reyes’ tagged posts on his verified Instagram account, meaning he was tagged in the post at some point. But the photos of Gobert and Reyes no longer appear to be online.
Reyes was reelected to serve as Utah’s attorney general in 2020. He has been the state’s top cop since 2013 when he was appointed to the position by then-Gov. Gary Herbert.
