A year-long legislative audit has uncovered significant transparency issues within the office of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, leading to questions about accountability and governance. The findings, presented to the Legislative Audit Committee on Friday afternoon, reveal that the office operated with insufficient public and legislative transparency, raising concerns about how effectively it has been managed.
Ryan Thelin, the audit supervisor, highlighted the lack of openness in his remarks to the committee. “The biggest takeaway from this report is that the office’s lack of transparency has hindered accountability,” Thelin stated. “We found that the previous Attorney General did not provide sufficient transparency to either the public or the legislature when requested to review the office’s operations.”
The audit team voiced concerns over not receiving “adequate information” from the Attorney General’s office. There were suspicions that essential data had been withheld or redacted inappropriately. “While we received considerable information from the AG’s office, we found that some documents related to government business—likely not personal or privileged—were withheld,” the report explained.
One of the audit’s major findings was that Sean Reyes appeared to avoid certain public obligations, including meetings with staff. According to the audit, before the 2023 announcement of the investigation, Reyes attended just two out of 22 monthly division staff meetings during 2022 and 2023. After the audit was made public, Reyes increased his attendance to these meetings.
Additionally, the audit pointed to Reyes’ connections with the controversial organization Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), now known as OUR Rescue. It was revealed that Reyes did not disclose meetings he had with OUR’s board or his involvement with founder Tim Ballard, despite his active role in supporting the organization. The audit stressed that no evidence was found suggesting state resources were used for these activities. However, it did raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest, given the AG’s prominent involvement with OUR.
The report included a series of recommendations, including a suggestion for the legislature to consider imposing stricter ethical guidelines and transparency requirements on the Attorney General’s office. It also proposed defining a clearer role for the Attorney General within the state’s legal framework to ensure better oversight.
In a second related report, the auditors found the AG’s office lacking an effective case management system. While a system was purchased in 2015 following a recommendation from previous auditors, the report found that many divisions rarely used the system, with some employees spending less than half an hour a day on it. The report pointed to a lack of leadership direction and standards as contributing factors. Additionally, auditors discovered that prosecutors were not always adhering to established policies for decision-making.
The audit’s recommendations to address these issues included the development of a formal plan for implementing and enforcing case management systems, as well as the introduction of performance measures to ensure that the office is meeting its goals of providing top-notch legal representation for the state.
Derek Brown, the current Attorney General, attended the hearing and expressed his openness to the auditors’ suggestions. “This audit gives us a chance to evaluate how we can improve,” Brown said after the meeting. “There’s definitely room for change, and we’re willing to embrace that.”
In response to the audit, Sean Reyes defended his office’s record. On X (formerly Twitter), he stated that his office had always welcomed audits and that the findings ultimately validated the culture within his office. “The audit shows positive conclusions about the high morale, proper use of public funds, and the absence of favoritism or conflicts of interest in my office,” Reyes wrote.
He also highlighted his office’s achievements, including efforts to combat opioid abuse, protect children from online dangers, and advocate for public land preservation. “The work we’ve done over the past 11 years will continue to have a lasting impact on Utah,” Reyes added.
For Reyes’ full response, visit his X account. To view the full audit reports, see the documents below.
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