Tina Cannon, Utah’s first female auditor, accused the Senate president of bullying and kicking her out of the Capitol building.
Utah’s new state auditor, Tina Cannon, the first woman to hold the office, is accusing Senate President Stuart Adams of “bullying” her out of her Capitol office space — making her the only official elected statewide without a presence in the building.
“It is just a huge bullying tactic over, oh, the first Republican woman elected statewide, oh, then push her right out of the Capitol,” Cannon said in an interview Thursday night. “That’s exactly what it’s about.”
But, in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, Adams said he was transparent with Cannon and that her allegations were disappointing.
“We were transparent about the amendment by inviting Auditor Cannon to a meeting with Sen. McKell, the bill’s sponsor, my staff and myself to discuss it. During the meeting, when Auditor Cannon asked if funding requests and office space were connected, I specifically stated that it was in no way tied together,” Adams said.
“It is deeply disappointing that the auditor has chosen to spread inaccurate information that is completely false,” the Senate president added.
Cannon, a Republican, said Adams, R-Layton, shouted at her during a meeting earlier this week and told her she would be relocated.
“I was told that I would be written into legislation and removed from the Capitol, and I wouldn’t even know — while he was yelling at me — wouldn’t even know it was coming,” Cannon said. “That feels pretty bullish to me.”
She also said she was not able to fight against the plan to move her because legislative leaders were holding up a $1.5 million budget request for staff salaries, which left her “feeling held hostage, to not be able to say what I knew was happening.”
Thursday evening, they agreed to fund a third of the amount, a few hours before adding language to a bill relocating her from the Capitol to offices southeast of the historic building where most of the auditor staff works.
Freshman Rep. Nicholeen Peck, R-Tooele, challenged the sponsor, Rep. Val Peterson, R-Orem, over the decision and asked if the auditor was on board with the move. Peterson said he couldn’t speak to whether the auditor approved of it or not.
“I can,” Peck shot back. “She doesn’t like it.”
The bill passed the House on a 49-18 vote five minutes after the provision relating to the auditor was added with no other discussion. If it passes the Senate Friday and is signed by the governor, the effective date is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025 — which Cannon said means she is “basically squatting” in the space.
“[I was] vehemently opposed to this. It was not done with my cooperation,” Cannon said.
“I was threatened [by Adams] that he would do it and that’s exactly what he did — while holding my budget and my staff hostage in the other hand,” Cannon said.
Cannon’s predecessor, John Dougall, and a few staff members had worked out of office space just off the Capitol’s rotunda since he took office in 2013. His predecessor also had office space in the Capitol. Cannon had kept Dougall’s suite since taking office in January and opened a new Transparent Utah office, where the public can get assistance searching government financial information.
Cannon said Adams told her he planned to use the space for junior senators who currently have offices in the building where Cannon would be relocated because, Cannon said she was told, it makes them feel like “second-class citizens.”
Note to readers • This story is breaking and will be updated.
Source: Utah News