‘I had no idea this was impacting someone in his family’: Governor Cox defends Sen. President Stuart Adams

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Governor Spencer J. Cox (R-Utah) defended Utah Senate President Stuart Adams after several reports claimed he used his power to help a relative receive a more favorable sentence in a criminal child rape case.

During his monthly press conference on Thursday, Cox stated that he was unaware that a family member would be involved in the revision of the bill. 

“I had no idea this was impacting someone in his family,” Cox said. “I think it was appropriate for the top person in the Senate not to weigh in on this bill which is exactly what happened.”

In July, the Salt Lake Tribune first reported that the legislature changed the law about unlawful sexual conduct with minors following a suggestion from Adams. The law now allows for 18-year-olds to receive lesser sentencing for sexual conduct with 13-year-olds if the 18-year-old is still in high school.

Cox said if he knew this bill was impacting someone in Senator Adams’ family, it may have changed the way he reacted to the bill.

Speaking about Republican lawmakers who claimed they didn’t know the real intent behind the bill, Cox said, “Anyone who says they don’t know what was in the bill is lying or not a good legislator. It is true the bill was brought at the end of the legislative session, but it was known about far before. Before the legislature, groups were working together to review it.”

Cox said the question of whether the bill was the right policy was a close call. “Maybe it’s not the right policy. But now that we have the opportunity to reflect on it.”

“I have lots of reasons to get upset with Stuart Adams. This was not one of them,” he continued.

Adams has responded to the calls for him to resign, calling the reports “false information and blatant lies.”