A major corruption scandal is rocking the state of Utah, and it could have direct implications for the balance of power in Congress.

Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen is now the subject of a formal investigation after allegations surfaced that she had an inappropriate relationship with the very attorney who argued the redistricting case that flipped a Utah congressional seat to Democrats.

Republican Governor Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams, and House Speaker Mike Schultz have all ordered an independent probe into the allegations. The White House is reportedly monitoring the situation.

The case at the center of this scandal, League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature, resulted in a unanimous ruling that tossed out the Republican-drawn congressional map. One of those seats subsequently flipped blue in the 2026 midterms.

Take a look:

The allegations come from Hagen’s own ex-husband. According to multiple reports, Tobin Hagen alleged that Justice Hagen exchanged “inappropriate” text messages with David Reymann, the attorney who represented progressive voting rights groups challenging the GOP-drawn maps.

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Tobin Hagen described the messages as starting out “silly” before becoming “more suggestive.” The alleged relationship reportedly began no later than February 2025.

Fox News reported on the investigation:

Hagen joined a unanimous decision to toss out Republicans’ redistricting plan in July 2024, a ruling that led to one of the seats flipping blue in time for the 2026 midterms.

Cox, along with Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz, said in a joint statement that more “transparency” was needed on the matter, signaling that the public’s trust in the state’s highest court was at stake.

The revelation of a possible relationship between Hagen and the attorney, David Reymann, who worked on behalf of progressive voting rights groups in the case, stemmed from a complaint that a lawyer for Hagen’s husband submitted to Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and the Judicial Conduct Commission.

Hagen has denied any wrongdoing. She claims her last involvement in the redistricting case was in October 2024 and that she “voluntarily recused” herself from all cases involving Reymann in May 2025. Reymann has also called the allegations “false.”

But state leaders are not satisfied with the initial review.

CBS News reported that the White House is closely watching the case:

The investigation was announced by Governor Cox, Senate President Adams, and House Speaker Schultz, who said in a joint statement that an initial review by the Judicial Conduct Commission and the court “left important questions unresolved.”

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The allegations “must be examined with transparency and accountability to establish the facts and to maintain public confidence,” the leaders said.

The Judicial Conduct Commission had previously declined to investigate further. But the Republican governor and legislative leaders clearly felt that response was not enough given what is at stake.

If the allegations are confirmed, it would mean a sitting justice allegedly had an intimate relationship with a lawyer arguing one of the most consequential cases in the state’s history. A case that directly changed the composition of the U.S. House of Representatives.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
 

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