Goud Maragani, who unsuccessfully ran for Salt Lake County Clerk in 2022, has proposed censuring Salt Lake County Council member Aimee Winder Newton because she attended a fundraiser for Equality Utah and sought the group’s endorsement last year. However, Maragani did the same things for which he wants Winder Newton punished.
Maragani, who is gay, accuses Equality Utah and its political action committee of working against Republican candidates while donating to and mainly endorsing Democrats.
Winder Newton’s sin, according to Maragani, was her participation in a panel discussion at a fundraiser for Equality Utah’s PAC and for seeking out the group’s endorsement in the 2022 election, which she secured. Maragani, as the head of the Utah Log Cabin Republicans, passed out a flier at the Republican Party State Convention this year attacking Winder Newton and other Republicans for their connections with Equality Utah.
Maragani’s resolution to censure to Winder Newton, which is on the agenda for the Utah Republican State Central Committee meeting later this month, attacks Equality Utah for promoting “sex reassignment surgeries to minors,” “pornographic books in schools,” and “sexually explicit performances in front of children,” among other grievances. Maragani points to social media posts from the group opposing legislation blocking gender-affirming care for minors, efforts to remove some books from school libraries and applauding a federal judge’s ruling slapping down St. George’s decision to stop a “family-friendly drag show.”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Aimee Winder Newton makes remarks after being sworn in for a third term as Salt Lake County Council member for District 3 at the council chambers in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.
The resolution asks the governing body of the Utah GOP to condemn Winder Newton’s association with Equality Utah, which, “undermines our Party, our values, and our candidates for public office.” Winder Newton would also be suspended from her role on the Utah Republican Party State Central Committee until she issues a public apology and raises twice as much money for the party as the Equality Utah fundraiser brought in.
Winder Newton, who also serves as an adviser to Gov. Spencer Cox and director of the Office of Families, called Maragani’s accusations “nonsense” in an email sent to state central committee members on Sunday night.
“I don’t always agree with Equality Utah on every issue, but I find the political dialogue healthy when we can have robust policy discussion with those from different walks of life and with different ideological perspectives,” Winder Newton wrote.
“As a Republican leader who has been able to keep the very moderate Salt Lake County Council District 3 in the hands of the Republicans for the past nine years; who has been elected as chair twice; who has campaigned for, donated to, and supported hundreds of Republican candidates; who has supported the party by serving for the past 6+ years on the SCC and in numerous other party positions; and who has one of the most conservative voting records on the SL County Council, I would ask that you help to stop this nonsense by Goud,” she wrote.
In her letter, Winder Newton said Maragani’s umbrage was hypocritical by including a pair of emails from him seeking Equality Utah’s endorsement during his unsuccessful 2022 campaign for Salt Lake County Clerk.
In her letter, Winder Newton says she “puzzle[d]” by Goud’s efforts, and includes a pair of emails from Goud seeking Equality Utah’s endorsement during his unsuccessful 2022 campaign for Salt Lake County Clerk.
“As a gay man who is also a racial minority, I would love your organization’s endorsement in this race,” Maragani wrote in an Aug. 30, 2022, email to Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams. “If we want a more inclusive society, we need to get members of our community elected into more offices and it would be good to show that we have a variety of viewpoints in our community.”
Maragani also said he “really enjoyed” attending the group’s annual fundraising gala.
Equality Utah verified the authenticity of the emails. Winder Newton declined further comment for this story.
Equality Utah endorsed Maragani’s Democratic opponent, Lannie Chapman, who went on to win the election. Williams says Maragani has used social media to distort his organization’s work since losing the election.
“Over the past several months, Goud Maragani has demonstrated an unusual preoccupation with Equality Utah and several transgender women. Last year while running for county clerk, he enthusiastically sought our endorsement, which we did not grant him because he did not meet our endorsement standards,” Williams said in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune.
“In reality, we have a solid track record of successfully working with elected leaders from across the political spectrum to find common ground in Utah. We hold no ill will toward Goud. We just don’t see his mean-spirited, troll-like behavior as a serious way to debate ideas and advocate for good public policy. We make more friends when we build people up instead of tearing others down,” Williams added.
Following the online publication of this story, Maragani responded via text message to The Tribune. “I stand by the censure. I’m not going to make additional comments at this time,” Maragani wrote, adding he plans to address the issue in a few days.
