The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah Stories. The trek into the office is a necessary evil for many employees; it’s unpaid time that could be spent elsewhere. But some state employees are able to cash in on their commutes. That includes one member of Gov. Spencer...
Category: Politics
Tax credit for huge oil producer raises questions about Utah board’s transparency
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Salt Lake City Weekly. When Utah officials awarded a tax credit to one of the state’s largest oil companies, at least one member of the voting board knew that environmentalists would make noise about a corporate handout to a multi-billion-dollar company. The...
Garfield County received thousands from opioid settlements. Is it spending the money properly?
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Garfield County has received tens of thousands of dollars in opioid settlement money, but a lack of records and conflicting statements from county officials raise questions about whether the county is using the money to plug holes in...
Who got the better end of a multi-million US 89 land deal: Stuart Adams or UDOT?
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KUER. On June 30, 2023, a beaming Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, joined a handful of local politicians to celebrate the completion of the U.S. 89 highway expansion. For years, Davis County commuters had negotiated orange traffic cones while the project...
Controversial Moab developer quietly makes major donations in AG’s race
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Moab Sun. Derek Brown’s campaign website for the attorney general’s race brands him as a “constitutional conservative,” ready to take on the overreach of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. meddling in Utah’s state’s rights. Moab resident Laura Long is also worried...
US Senate candidate received $50k from vape shop owners
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, one of a handful of candidates vying for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Mitt Romney, welcomed Florida GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz to stump for him at a recent rally of...
Wilson’s Senate campaign disclosures show how closely development and government can align
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KUER. In his U.S. Senate campaign ad, Republican Brad Wilson, former speaker of the Utah House, leans into his career as a real estate developer. He walks through a construction site and the camera cuts to Wilson swinging a sledgehammer into...
Judge blasts the office of Attorney General Sean Reyes for ‘haphazard’ record keeping
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. As controversy engulfed his predecessor, who was accused of doing favors for wealthy supporters and friends and receiving improper gifts, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes was swept into office. Reyes now faces his own audit — for...
Rep. Burgess Owens’ campaign has paid his daughter more than $150,000
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KUER. Congressman Burgess Owens’ congressional biography page lists “faith, family, free markets and education” as his guiding principles. But family is more than just a campaign platform for the 4th District representative. Since he first ran for office in 2020, he...
Salt Lake County clerk candidate’s campaign promises may involve the county in a lawsuit
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Goud Maragani, the Republican candidate for Salt Lake County clerk, has made government transparency a key part of his campaign, citing increased interest from citizens requesting public records to understand the election process. Maragani’s campaign promises, like...









