White House Investigates Alleged Utah Scandal as GOP Worries Over Redistricting Setbacks

White House officials are actively investigating an alleged scandal in Utah, urging local Republicans to probe deeper into ethical concerns surrounding a relationship between two pivotal figures in a contentious gerrymandering case, sources reveal.

This development adds another layer to the ongoing dispute over Utah's court-mandated congressional map, which has shifted a GOP-majority district to be more favorable for Democrats. It also represents a new strategy in the Trump administration's efforts to maintain the fragile Republican majority in the U.S. House.

State lawmakers are raising questions about the connection between Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen and David Reymann, an attorney with Parr Brown, who represented the League of Women Voters of Utah. This group was instrumental in challenging the legality of the congressional maps proposed by Republicans.

Hagen authored a unanimous ruling in 2024 that determined GOP lawmakers had overstepped their authority by altering Proposition 4, which explicitly prohibits gerrymandering.

The potential conflict of interest involving Hagen and Reymann raises uncertainty about whether it could lead to a reversal of the new congressional boundaries, possibly allowing Republicans to reclaim a district.

"There's just a lot of unknowns at this point," stated Kirk Cullimore, the Utah Senate majority leader, emphasizing the complexity of the situation.

Cullimore pointed out that Hagen had recused herself from matters related to Reymann, but ethics watchdogs remain uncertain if their relationship existed when the Supreme Court issued its opinion on the anti-gerrymandering case.

Utah GOP officials have reportedly communicated with the White House regarding these developments.

Across the nation, other state legislatures are embroiled in redistricting conflicts following President Trump's push for mid-decade redistricting, particularly urging Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional lines to solidify a House GOP majority.

Earlier this year, Trump expressed his views on Utah Republicans' attempts to repeal the anti-gerrymandering legislation.

The current congressional map in Utah, mandated by a district court, transformed four Republican-leaning districts into three GOP-leaning and one Democratic-majority district centered around Salt Lake City. Since 2014, Republicans have held all four congressional seats in Utah.

Utah U.S. Representative Burgess Owens, a former NFL player, announced last month that he would not seek reelection after his unsuccessful legal challenge against the new map.

In a joint statement, top Republican legislative leaders confirmed plans for an independent investigation into the matter. "Recent media reports about a relationship between a member of the Utah Supreme Court and an attorney who has argued high-profile cases before the Court raise serious questions and concerns," said Governor Spencer Cox, state Senate President J. Stuart Adams, and House Speaker Mike Schultz.

"An initial review by the Judicial Conduct Commission and the Court left important questions unresolved. Allegations of this nature, especially involving public officials, must be examined with transparency and accountability to establish the facts and maintain public confidence," they added.

The League of Women Voters of Utah, represented by Reymann, declined to comment on the situation.

A complaint filed with the state's Judicial Conduct Commission in December alleged an inappropriate relationship between Hagen and Reymann. This complaint was submitted by an attorney who claimed Hagen's ex-husband informed him about text exchanges between Hagen and Reymann.

After a preliminary investigation, the Judicial Conduct Commission decided not to pursue the matter further.

Following the 2024 state Supreme Court decision, the GOP-led legislature sought to invalidate the new map, bringing the case back before the state's high court in September 2025. In February, Utah's high court upheld the new map once again.

In a January declaration to the commission, Hagen clarified her relationship status, asserting she remained faithful during her 30-year marriage and did not engage in an affair prior to her separation. She indicated that she proposed divorce in September 2024 and separated in April 2025.

Hagen noted that she renewed her "friendship with Mr. Reymann" while separated from her husband and updated her recusal list accordingly.

She told local news outlet KSL-TV that she "voluntarily recused myself from all cases involving Mr. Reymann in May 2025."

Reymann has not responded to requests for comment regarding this matter.