Both Governor Gary Herbert and Republican gubernatorial candidate Thomas Wright are acknowledging that the two had a conversation where the governor urged Wright to drop out of the race and endorse Spencer Cox, who is Herbert’s handpicked successor. The discussion may also have included a promise from the governor that if Wright were to drop out now, Herbert would agree to assist Wright in a race against Senator Mike Lee in 2022. 

According to Utah law, it is illegal for someone to offer an inducement to a candidate to withdraw from a race.  If Governor Herbert did so, that would be a violation of law and should be prosecuted.

 

Therefore, the United Utah Party calls on the Attorney General to open an investigation regarding this potential violation of the law.  That investigation should examine whether an inducement was offered by the governor.

 

However, in calling for this investigation, we want to remind the public that the United Utah Party favors the Utah Attorney General becoming a non-partisan office that is not elected through the party nomination process or appointed by the governor, but is elected in a non-partisan campaign much like a local school board members.

 

Under current law, the Utah Attorney General would be supervising the investigation of a fellow partisan.  That makes it difficult for the public to have confidence that the investigation will be conducted without partisan considerations influencing the outcome. 

 

This incident highlights the need for the Attorney General to be above partisan politics.  Anything else compromises the integrity of the legal system.