Don’t let Utah become like California, Texas A.G. tells Beehive State Republicans

Layton • There is a reasonable argument to make that Layton was the “reddest” spot in Republican-dominated Utah on Saturday night.

Several hundred elected officials, candidates and supporters crowded into the Davis Conference Center to hear the keynote speaker for the Davis County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day fundraising dinner: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

After the catered dinner, attendees lapped up a rhetorical dessert about the border crisis and a dire warning that electing Democrats would lead to the nation’s downfall.

Paxton, who is in his third term as Texas’ top law enforcement officer, has helped spur the standoff between the Lone Star State and the Biden administration over immigration at the southern border with Mexico. After bragging that he has filed nearly two dozen lawsuits against the Democratic administration over the border and immigration, the Republican officeholder accused the president of conspiring with cartels to worsen the problem.

“The very first day Joe Biden came into office, he announced there would be no more deportations (of migrants). Why would he announce that?” Paxton asked Saturday night. “He was sending a signal to the cartels to get these people here as fast as they can. He was running logistics for the cartels.”

Earlier this month, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced he was sending a handful of Utah National Guard and Utah Highway Patrol members to Texas to assist in their efforts at immigration control.

Paxton asserted that Texas had the right to crack down on immigration because the feds were shirking their duties.

“How many of our states would have joined the union knowing that the federal government could not defend us and we were not allowed to defend ourselves?” Paxton asked. “I can tell you that Texas would have never joined the union if that were the deal.”

Paxton has also been dogged by allegations of corruption throughout his tenure. He was impeached by the Texas House last year after asking lawmakers to foot the bill for a $3.3 million settlement resulting from a lawsuit brought by whistleblowers in his office. The resulting investigation found that Paxton abused his office to interfere in legal actions against one of his major donors.

He was acquitted by the Texas Senate.

In 2015, Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in Texas. After years of delay, his trial is scheduled to begin in April.

Paxton urged Utah Republicans to remain vigilant and continue to elect people who will stay true to conservative ideals and principles.

“You need to make sure Utah doesn’t end up like California. When I lived in California, it was at least partially Republican. It is hopeless now,” Paxton said. “If we lose any more Republican states, we’re going to lose our country, and our kids and our children. God put us here for a reason at a time when we actually can make a difference, just like the founders did.”

Paxton was introduced by his close ally, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes.

As he brought his Texas counterpart to the stage, Reyes, whose own office is under investigation from Utah’s legislative auditor over his ties to embattled anti-sex-trafficking advocate Tim Ballard, cast Paxton’s legal and ethical troubles as a badge of honor.

“When you threaten corruption, it comes after you,” Reyes said. “There’s been no one more unfairly harassed and attacked by political enemies in state politics.”

Reyes said Paxton’s efforts at the border should make him a prime candidate for a top spot in a second Donald Trump administration if the GOP front-runner wins November’s election and returns to the White House.

“When Trump retakes the White House, Ken will have a tough decision on whether to stay as A.G. or serve in the Cabinet,” Reyes said. “Ladies and gentlemen, how about Paxton as Homeland Security secretary? That would be some real border security.”

Reyes signed on to a long-shot lawsuit led by Paxton asking the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory in four states: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which would have led to Trump being named the winner. The high court declined to take up the case. In 2021, Reyes hosted Paxton in Utah while a winter storm knocked out power for millions of people in Texas.

Paxton’s warmup act Saturday night was a 35-minute speech about the role divine inspiration played in the founding of America from Tad R. Callister, an emeritus general authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Callister specified he was not representing Utah’s predominant faith in an official capacity before noting the serendipitous nature of his participation in an event honoring Abraham Lincoln.

“I have a kinship with Abraham Lincoln,” Callister said. “My father loved Lincoln. In fact, he named me after one of his sons — Tad. That’s where I got the name.”

Callister delivered a similar talk earlier this month at the Cache County GOP Lincoln Day event.