Utah Senate President Stuart Adams has sent three cease-and-desist letters, obtained by the Deseret News, to four individuals, asking for retractions of statements he alleges were defamatory regarding his relation to the Box Elder County data center, his role in relocating the state auditor’s office and whether he changed a law to benefit a relative.
The letters were sent to Utah State Auditor Tina Cannon, Elevate Strategies founding partner Gabrielle Finlayson, and podcast hosts Uriah Kennedy and Ingrid Bettridge.
Adams became the face of a massive data center project in northern Utah — the Stratos Project — a role that likely contributed to his 9-percentage point defeat in June’s Republican primary election. Adams has served in Utah’s Senate for 17 years.
“I want the lies to stop,” he said in a statement. “For months, false statements have been spread about me despite the facts and the public record, showing a reckless disregard for the truth, with the intent of damaging my reputation and causing tremendous harm to my family.”
He added, “I agree that ‘Public debate is healthy. False accusations are not.’ This is about setting the record straight. Respond to the letters, correct the record and apologize for the lies.”
What statements is he asking to be retracted?
Cannon appeared on an episode of the “God and Country Podcast” on June 28 to discuss waste, fraud and abuse in Utah.
In the podcast, Cannon told Kennedy and Bettridge that there had been efforts to remove her office from the Capitol. Cannon also referenced SB213, which amended state sentencing guidelines, and alleged that it was passed to influence legal outcomes for Adams’ granddaughter.
On Wednesday, Cannon responded:
“I refused to be bullied by President Adams, and I certainly won’t be bullied by Mr. Adams,” Cannon said.
“I hope Mr. Adams files suit, as he will be put under oath for a lengthy deposition and we will have a lot of difficult questions for him.”
Against Finlayson, Adams is asking for a retraction of an Instagram post from June 25. Posted by Elevate Utah, which is followed by nearly 100,000 people, Finlayson captioned the video, “Ding dong the witches are dead! ☠️ And we couldn’t be happier.”
In the video, Finlayson said Adams spent his 24 years in the Legislature “building a personal portfolio of favors.”
Like Cannon, Finlayson referenced SB213, describing his involvement as “helping craft legislation that benefited his own family member from having their rape charges be evaporated into misdemeanors and probation.”
Adams has asked for retractions of specific statements within 14 days and confirmation of compliance within seven days. Without confirmation, he said his lawyers will likely file a lawsuit.
In a statement to the Deseret News, Finlayson said, “The voters have spoken and I’m sure Mr. Adams is unhappy about the result. But looking to blame others, rather than taking accountability, is not the answer. I will continue to exercise my First Amendment right to free speech and will not be silenced by intimidation, threats or bullying.”