A Legislative Auditor General's Office audit has unearthed a lack of transparency concerns involving former Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. According to KUTV, auditors found Reyes' office to be less than forthcoming, complicating the public's ability to hold the office accountable. They noted that Reyes' involvement in the office's Different Division appeared "limited" and his interactions with nonprofit organizations yielded perceived conflicts of interest.
The audit revealed that Reyes pecked information from legislative auditors, avoiding complete disclosure of his daily activities, calendar events, and travel records. As reported by Utah News Dispatch, the former AG even resisted turning over information, which raised questions among auditors about the use of attorney-client privilege to shroud transparency.
Further investigation by the auditors revealed that Reyes appeared to exploit his authority to support and fundraise for specific nonprofit organizations, such as Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), leading to recommendations for the state legislature to consider imposing "guardrails" on the AG's office. "While we found that there was some involvement by the AG in (Operation Underground Railroad) and other nonprofits, we are unable to determine the full extent of the involvement due to a lack of transparency from the AG," auditors underscored in the report, as per Utah News Dispatch.
Insufficient transparency within Reyes' office, as chronicled by an audit, has ostensibly compromised accountability in the role of attorney general. "Insufficient transparency has resulted in a lack of accountability," Ryan Thelin, the audit supervisor said, as obtained by ABC4 during the presentation of the report. They also criticized Reyes for frequently skipping meetings, when information was provided, it was often redacted, obscuring government business without clear privileged or personal justification.
The audit has tasked current Attorney General Derek Brown with responding to three recommendations aimed at ameliorating transparency and accountability within the office. The implications of these findings extend beyond the tenure of AG Reyes, raising essential questions on the oversight and ethical requirements that come with the role of Utah's top law enforcement official.
