Utah Republican Scandals | Updated List of GOP Scandals in UT

Scandal Categories

Utah Republican U.S. Congress Member & Candidate Scandals

  • Mitt RomneyMitt RomneyU.S. Senator [R-UT]Facebook iconTwitter iconInstagram iconYouTube icon10.1m
    6/29/07
    Placed his dog inside a carrier strapped to the top of his family car and set off on a 12-hour trip during which the dog became ill with diarrhea that his children had to watch streak down the back window
    According to news reports from credible media outlets

Utah Republican Executive Branch Scandals

  • Frank MylarFrank MylarFmr. AG Candidate [R-UT]
       
    7/10/24
    Offered his competitor for State AG a job at the office if he agreed to drop out of the race and endorse him
    According to charging documents filed by local officials

Utah Republican Judge Scandals

  • William KendallWilliam KendallState Judge [R-UT]
       
    4/02/25
    Groped an inebriated woman who had just consumed highly potent (and illegal) THC that he gave her following a night out drinking
    According to charging documents filed by state officials
  • Kevin ChristensenKevin ChristensenFmr. State Judge [R-UT]
       
    3/11/25
    Exchanged felony media with numerous underage girls as young as 13 years old and engaged in highly sexualized chats with a number of underage girls that depicted explicit sex acts involving children
    According to charging documents filed by state officials

Utah Republican State Legislator Scandals

  • Brandon BeckhamBrandon BeckhamFmr. State Sen. Candidate
       
    1/18/25
    Grazed his female attorney's back and moved his hand "noticeably lower" towards her buttocks while seated next to her at his defense table in the courtroom while his alleged sexual assault victim was testifying against him
    According to a judge who agreed to let Beckham's own attorneys quit his defense team due to his "own actions" and declared a mistrial
    6/15/22
    Violated his restraining order by sending at least two campaign emails to the woman he is accused of sexually assaulting which addressed her by name and discussed his criminal case
    According to a court filing by the prosecutor overseeing his sexual assault case
    3/10/22
    Forcibly pinned his date to the ground and tried to rip her clothing off while ignoring her demand that he let her go and then admitted that he had "gone too far" with her in a subsequent phone call
    According to charging documents filed by local officials
  • Sheldon KillpackSheldon KillpackFmr. State Senator [R-UT]
       
    1/15/10
    Swerved in and out of his lane, reportedly "performed poorly" on his field sobriety tests and refused to take a breathalyzer after police reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol on his breath
    According to an arrest report filed by local police
  • Kevin GarnKevin GarnFmr. State Representative36 Years in GOP
    3/12/10
    Got naked with a 15-year-old girl in a hot tub when he was in his late twenties and later paid her $150,000 to keep quiet when he ran for US Congress
    According to the woman who went to the media to tell her story and confirmed by Garn
  • Merrill NelsonMerrill NelsonFmr. State Representative
       
    9/08/22
    Convinced a Mormon bishop to keep allegations of child sexual abuse by a member of his church against his daughters secret under false pretenses that he could be sued if he did even though state law in Arizona -- where the alleged abuse took place -- specifically protects people who report child abuse, which allowed the abuse to continue for a number of years
    According to court records reported by mainstream outlets
  • Jon StanardJon StanardFmr. State Representative
       
    2/09/18
    Hired a prostitute on two separate occasions and used taxpayer dollars to pay for a hotel room to have sex with her while also being a married father of three who voted for stricter solicitation laws shortly before getting caught
    According to an investigative report by the Daily Mail