ISSUES
PROTECTING YOU FROM CRIME
Nothing is more important than protection from crime, but in Utah we have a system for law enforcement that crosses many agencies from cities and counties to state and federal agencies, including the courts, the legislature and organizations like the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice. I applaud every single one of those agencies and express my appreciation for their contribution to our safe society. Having served as attorney general and on the Criminal Justice Committee in the State Legislature, I understand how those agencies relate and share their resources for the benefit of all Utah residents.
While the attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer, as stated in the Utah Constitution, in practice he has a leadership role and a policy and advocacy role that requires him to work at a visionary level cooperatively with others. Working together we all keep our communities safe and protected from predatory criminals.
Working together we all keep our communities safe and protected from predatory criminals.
As attorney general, I will work hard to ensure that agencies dealing with sex trafficking, drug crime, internet crimes against children, white collar fraud and illegal immigrants have the resources, training and support required to keep us safe and to scare the bad guys into leaving Utah forever, or spending time paying for their crimes.
I will work with the legislature, which provides resources to our office and other agencies, including corrections and the judiciary, so we have everything we need to be effective. Although I believe in working with other states, I will work to perfect my role and be in the state as much as possible, cheering those who are willing to make sacrifices on the streets, and placing themselves in harms way for our families. In our enthusiasm to close cases, we have to protect the innocent. Under my administration, we will be fair and only seek justice. My reforms will work to ensure that:
Prosecutors are not above the law and should be held accountable for any misuse of power.
Prosecutors and investigators freely share exculpatory information that is required by the constitutional protections of due process.
Prosecutors and judges are well trained on the purposes of our system of justice.
The falsely accused should not be left to bear their damages alone.
PROTECTING STATE RIGHTS
States rights belong to you, just like your tax dollars do. States, through people, created the federal government and they enjoy only the rights we granted to it or which we allow it to take. That’s in the Constitution and I’ll defend it in court like I did with my work against the unconstitutional Obamacare and in my fight to protect our rights to Utah lands.
As your elected attorney general once again, it will be my job to protect a wildly expanding federal government by reminding those in Washington that We the People designed a government that derives its just powers “by the consent of the governed.”
We the People designed a government that derives its just powers “by the consent of the governed.”
To do so, I’ll not only take the FEDs to court, I’ll work with our Congressional delegation to encourage them to work with Utah to preserve our sovereignty and autonomy. Protecting your rights means protecting our state and I’ll do it because at the end of the day, what we are not willing to fight for, we will eventually lose.
PROSECUTION CHECKS & BALANCES:
Our constitutional system was designed with checks and balances to protect our rights from government abuse. Who should hold unlimited, unrestrained power in our Republic? No one! Why then have we given our prosecutors immunity for their prosecution acts?
Why did 2,000 former DOJ employees call for the resignation of the United States Attorney General when he investigated a decision made by a line prosecutor? Because that is how warped our "system” has become. I say ENOUGH is ENOUGH! If you reelect me as attorney general, Utah’s chief prosecutor, I’ll fight to curb my power and the power of every other prosecutor in our state.
If you reelect me as attorney general, Utah’s chief prosecutor, I’ll fight to curb my power and the power of every other prosecutor in our state.
Checks and balances belong especially to the one person in charge of prosecuting a Utah citizen. I will work to ensure accountability for me and all others who can investigate you, arrest you and prosecute you in the name of justice by requiring random and complaint-driven prosecution audits, with the same investigative power that government has against you.
We’ll look at emails, text messages and other records to see if politics or personal bias is behind a prosecution or investigative decision. And if we find corruption or abuse in any prosecution, we’ll weigh in with a huge consequence.
Our framers knew the importance of protective checks and balances and my experience on the other side of a prosecution taught me that we need to bring it to the prosecution side of the table. Your rights depend upon it.
PUBLIC PROTECTION:
Everyone knows someone who has been pushed around by someone in the government. Whether its a new, unmarried college graduate in the Department of Child and Family Services, the grizzled investigator at the Division of Consumer Protection, or an employee of the State Tax Commission, abuse is never right.
When I ran for office in 2012, I heard from many businesses who only wanted to be treated fairly by government. I assured them that as long as they followed the rules, they would have no problem with my administration. And that is how it should be. As my first act as attorney general I am going to stop the abuse of government power by state actors.
As your attorney general, I will stop the abuse of government power by state actors.
Recent legislation has opened that door, and I will hire a full-time investigator in a section I will create called the "Public Protection Section" of my office. The Public Protection Section and its investigators will protect your rights!
I will task investigators to investigate complaints of abuse of government power against Utah residents and businesses and report abuses directly to me. Government was not created or designed to harass law-abiding citizens or businesses. It was meant to protect our rights, and I’ll restore that imperative to Utah residents, mark my word!