A Utah attorney general candidate has become the subject of a police investigation following allegations of bribery involving a fellow candidate in exchange for an endorsement and a potential position in the Attorney General’s office.
It would be cool if Utah could have an attorney general who doesn’t exchange the AG office’s integrity for personal favors.
— Michael Jolley (@mjolley22) May 22, 2024
The investigation centers around Frank Mylar, a GOP candidate running for the attorney general primary in June against Rachel Terry and Derek Brown.
Would love to see you there! pic.twitter.com/iMEHmJeh6d
— Trent Christensen for Utah AG (@trent4utah) April 1, 2024
The controversy arose when Mylar reportedly sent a text message to Trent Christensen, a former AG candidate, seeking an endorsement ahead of the Utah GOP convention in April.
In the text sent on April 19, Mylar allegedly offered Christensen a position in his office if elected, in exchange for an endorsement. Christensen, who did not advance past the convention system, reported the alleged bribe to the police and the Lieutenant Governor’s office.
Mylar’s message stated, “If you could endorse me before the convention I would definitely include you in my office.” Christensen interpreted the text as a quid-pro-quo bribe, citing Utah code, 20A-1-601, and chose not to respond.
Following Christensen’s report, the Murray police launched an investigation into the matter. Mylar later sent a follow-up text, claiming the initial message was sent in error and asking Christensen to disregard it.
Despite Mylar’s attempt to retract the message, the investigation continues, raising questions about potential corruption within the Utah attorney general race. The situation also prompted scrutiny of Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson’s (R) involvement, as her office oversees elections in the state.
In response to inquiries about the investigation, Henderson’s office declined to comment on ongoing criminal investigations. However, the incident has drawn parallels to a previous bribery case in Utah politics, involving a state treasurer candidate in 2009.
If the investigation leads to Mylar’s withdrawal from the race, it would leave Derek Brown and Rachel Terry as the remaining GOP candidates for the attorney general position.
