A lot. There is a reason why the Attorney General is specifically enumerated in our state constitution. The Attorney General is not just another position of government—someone to be appointed and serve at the whim of the Governor or the Legislature. While the Attorney General is the top law enforcement officer in the state, he or she is just not the attorney for the State. The Attorney General is the attorney for The People, and as such is the guardian of your state and federal constitutional rights. That makes the Attorney General the single most important check you have against the power of every other branch and officer of government.
But the Attorney General can only be that check against the power of the State if he or she is independent of the other branches and officers of government. I believe the Attorney General must be popularly elected and be free of the influence of lobbyists and the special interests that hire them.
Having an Attorney General willing to check the power of government will lead to a more limited government. And as a conservative, I believe that limited government protects individual freedoms.
As Utah Attorney General, I will ensure that all branches and officers of government stay within their constitutional boundaries – including limiting government spending. I will especially fight to check the power of the federal government when they encroach into our state, our business, our rights, and our way of life. I will be your advocate in the state house. It’s my opinion that I will work for you, that is how an elected servant should act.
On my first day as Utah’s Attorney General, I will begin to conduct a full, transparent, and statewide audit of Utah’s electoral system. Utahns need to be confident that their votes—and only their votes—count when it comes to choosing our leaders and the future direction of our state.
While it is the responsibility of the Office of the Lt. Governor to oversee Utah’s elections, the Utah Attorney General’s office has all the constitutional authority it needs to conduct such an audit—independent of any other officer of government.
I’ve been a CEO and General Counsel for several different companies, and they always voluntarily audit their books and then share those results. It’s time government did the same. I will work with every branch, office and officer of the government to complete this audit in an open and fair way. And once it is complete, we can see what is working and what needs to be fixed. Utah will become a model for the nation in providing its citizens with the most open, fair, and transparent elections in the country.
Do we know for certain there are problems with the system? We don’t, but so many of the citizens I’ve talked to are concerned that there might be. Who’s concerned?
Typically, those on the side that loses. And it’s critical when the candidate is the President of the United States. In 2000, it was Al Gore, in 2016, it was Hillary Clinton and of course in 2020, it was Donald Trump.
Let’s remove the debate over the black box electronic devices that are so divisive. Let’s remove the doubt and make our votes transparent.
The federal government only exists because We The People created it. And it only enjoys the rights that We The People gave to it. That principle is clearly stated in the U.S. Constitution. As your attorney general, it will be my job to push back against a rapidly expanding federal government, through all legal means available.
But it isn’t enough simply to take the Feds to court, which we will do when necessary. As your Attorney General I will be proactive in protecting your rights. I’ll work closely with Utah’s Congressional delegation, to guide them on legal policy and urge them to preserve our state sovereignty.
State’s rights are a lot like your taxpayer dollars. The federal government thinks both of those things belong to them. And they are wrong. But if we don’t fight for our rights, we will eventually lose them to a federal government ever hungrier for power. I will protect our state’s rights, because in doing so, I will be protecting you.
Just to make it clear, let’s consider land management. The federal government controls almost 70% of the land in Utah. In most central and eastern states, those percentages drop down to almost nothing. Ohio and Ohioans control 98% of the state of Ohio. In Arkansas, it’s 90%. If the state controls the land within its borders, the state controls its own destiny.
On top of being the top law enforcement officer in the state, the Attorney General must also play leadership roles across many different agencies. Cities and counties, state and federal agencies, and of course the courts and the legislature all play a role in protecting our citizens from crime. The Attorney General must coordinate between all these different organizations, be an advocate, direct policy initiatives, and work cooperatively with others.
As attorney general, I will ensure that the many agencies and departments that deal with crime—such as those that fight sex trafficking, drug crimes, and illegal immigration—have the training, the support and the resources necessary to keep you safe and bring the guilty to justice.
We will be tough on crime, while also ensuring fairness and justice. Under my leadership, I will work to make sure that:
