Utah governor orders investigation against state Supreme Court justice for alleged inappropriate relationship

Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox on Friday called for an independent investigation into Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen following allegations that she may have had an inappropriate relationship with an attorney linked to a major redistricting case. Along with Cox, several Utah lawmakers also called for the investigation to be opened following allegations raised by the judge's ex-husband, who went so far as to claim that Hagen had sent "inappropriate" text messages to attorney David Reymann, who was part of a unanimous Utah Supreme Court ruling in July 2024 that overturned a Republican-backed congressional map, getting a seat passed into Democratic hands.

The allegations arose through a formal complaint filed by an attorney representing Hagen's husband with Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and the state's Judicial Conduct Commission. While both the judge and Reymann have denied any wrongdoing, the commission reviewed the complaint and decided not to move forward with further action after a preliminary investigation. According to local reports, the investigation has been able to determine that Hagen and her husband began discussing divorce in September 2024, and that while the two had related interactions with Reymann later that year, the judge did not meet alone with the attorney until 2025.

In a public statement, Hagen insisted that he had no conflict of interest in the case and explained the various steps he has taken in response to the allegations against him. "My last involvement in the redistricting case was October 2024. I voluntarily recused myself from all cases involving Mr. Reymann in May 2025, and my recusal was reflected in the Court’s September 15, 2025 opinion in League of Women Voters. I took prompt, prudent, and transparent steps in response to the allegations made by my ex-husband, including reporting them myself to the Judicial Conduct Commission and submitting a sworn statement. The Judicial Conduct Commission recently reviewed the matter, dismissed the complaint, and closed the case. I remain committed to upholding the highest standards of judicial ethics, integrity, and impartiality."