In the days after Utah lawmakers began mulling accountability measures for the state’s attorney general, and later when the Legislature launched an audit of his office, Attorney General Sean Reyes gave two $1,000 donations to a political action committee funding Republican candidates for the state House of Representatives.
The Utah House Republican Election Committee, which Speaker Mike Schultz took the helm of when he succeeded Brad Wilson in November, received the pair of contributions on Oct. 19 and Nov. 20.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported in mid-October — one week before Reyes’ first donation — that lawmakers were eyeing an audit of the attorney general’s office and legislation to make the attorney general an appointed position. Reyes’ office released a statement Oct. 12 criticizing such a move.
“The Office of Legislative Counsel and Legislative Leadership has said on many occasions they have never had a better or more productive relationship with the UAGO,” the statement read. “Concerns over the conduct of elected A.G.’s apply equally to appointed A.G.’s as evidenced by the number of appointed A.G.’s in the last several years resigning over alleged misconduct.”
With little discussion, the Legislative Audit Subcommittee unanimously voted on Nov. 14 to proceed with an audit. Six days later, Reyes sent the second donation, according to a report filed with the lieutenant governor’s office.
“The Utah House Republican Election Committee received a donation from Attorney General Sean Reyes in October 2023, weeks before the Legislative Audit Subcommittee prioritized and approved an audit into the Attorney General’s office,” Schultz, who now co-chairs the subcommittee, said in an emailed statement.
He continued, “The Election Committee regularly receives donations from individuals and organizations that are solely used to help support and elect House candidates that represent Utah’s conservative values. Once audits are prorated and approved, we cannot interfere with the audit proceedings, and it will continue to move forward in a fair and unbiased manner.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz speaks during an Extraordinary Session of the Utah House of Representatives at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake CIty on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.
A spokesperson for Reyes’ campaign did not respond to voicemails or emailed questions about the contributions.
The two $1,041.02 donations to the Utah House Republican Election Committee appear to be the first donations over a thousand dollars that Reyes’ campaign has made to a politician or political entity since 2020, when, during his reelection campaign, he gave $1,500 to the Utah Republican Party.
In 2021 and 2022, Reyes reported making six other donations to political causes — all $500 and under. He has not yet submitted his year-end finance report for 2023, which is due on Jan. 10.
Reyes was appointed attorney general in 2013 in the wake of a scandal in which his two predecessors were charged with, but never convicted of, multiple felonies. He has twice been reelected to the office.
Amid questions about his leadership, Reyes faces heightened scrutiny for his relationship with Tim Ballard. The now-ousted founder of anti-trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad is accused of sexual assault in multiple lawsuits. In a video Reyes posted last month announcing he won’t seek reelection, the attorney general said he would launch a criminal investigation into the allegations against Ballard.
The legislative audit continues despite Reyes’ decision not to launch a reelection campaign.
In November, 26 bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to Schultz and Senate President Stuart Adams asking that an auditor investigate whether Reyes’ office is being run effectively, how it makes legal and administrative decisions, and — after The Tribune reported on some 30 trips Reyes had taken using campaign donations — its travel policies and practices.
Lawmakers’ letter also asked that auditors assess the extent of Reyes’ ties to Ballard, whether any state funds were used to help OUR, and if the friendship impaired the attorney general’s prosecutorial judgment.
“It’s been a long time, honestly since that [an audit] has happened,” Schultz told The Tribune after the audit was approved, adding that he considers Reyes a friend. “We’ve had conversations with Attorney General Reyes, and he’s fully supportive and wants to work together,” Schultz said in November. “Questions will come up about the OUR stuff, and that’s fair. But we’re looking more broadly and holistically.”
According to the Office of the Legislative Auditor General’s website, the audit is currently in the “survey” phase, during which audit staff work to become familiar with the operations of the office in question “to determine if adequate information exists to enable the audit questions to be answered,” says a guide for audited agencies.
Editor’s note • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.
