UTAH — White House officials asked Utah Republicans to investigate ethics concerns regarding the relationship between Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen and attorney David Reymann in a court-ordered gerrymandering case. Utah Republican officials have discussed the situation with the White House.

Governor Spencer Cox, state Senate President J. Stuart Adams, and House Speaker Mike Schultz said they will move forward with an independent investigation. In a joint statement, the three officials said: "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. 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 to maintain public confidence."

Utah Senate majority leader Kirk Cullimore said there are outstanding questions about the relationship between Hagen and Reymann, noting that Hagen recused herself from considering matters connected to Reymann. "There's just a lot of unknowns at this point," Cullimore said.

A complaint was filed in December to the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission alleging an inappropriate relationship between Hagen and Reymann, according to public records. The complaint was filed by an attorney who said Hagen's ex-husband told him that Hagen had exchanged text messages with Reymann. The commission opted not to pursue the matter further after a preliminary investigation.

In a January declaration to the commission, Hagen said she had been faithful to her ex-husband throughout their 30-year marriage and did not have an affair before their separation. She said she suggested divorce in September 2024 and separated from her husband in April 2025, and that she renewed her friendship with Reymann while separated and updated her recusal list to include his name. In May 2025, she voluntarily recused herself from all cases involving Reymann.

In 2024, the Utah Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling authored by Hagen finding that Republican lawmakers had overstepped by changing Proposition 4, which prohibits gerrymandering. After that decision, the GOP-led Utah legislature sought to have the new congressional map thrown out. A district court ordered the current boundary map that turned four Republican-leaning congressional districts into three GOP-leaning districts and one Democratic-majority district in the Salt Lake City area. Republican candidates have held all four congressional districts in Utah since 2014.

Representative Burgess Owens sued to overturn the new congressional map and was unsuccessful. The case came before the Utah Supreme Court again in September 2025. In February, the court ruled against the legislature and upheld the new congressional map. The League of Women Voters of Utah declined to comment.