Accountability is finally coming to the highest levels of the judicial system. Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen just abruptly resigned from the bench, effective immediately.
Why the shocking exit? Top Republican leaders had just announced plans for a massive, independent investigation into Hagen’s conduct. The explosive allegations involve a highly inappropriate relationship with the exact attorney who was actively fighting to tear down Utah’s Republican-friendly congressional redistricting maps. Her own ex-husband filed a formal complaint, exposing alleged inappropriate text messages between the Justice and the lawyer who worked on behalf of progressive voting rights groups.
While the state’s internal Judicial Conduct Commission quickly dismissed the complaint, conservative lawmakers demanded total transparency and launched their own independent probe. In her resignation letter, Hagen denied the affair and claimed she was only stepping down to protect her family’s privacy amidst a painful divorce. But the timing speaks volumes: just weeks after Republicans demanded a real investigation into this massive potential conflict of interest regarding our election maps, she completely walked away. This is exactly why we must relentlessly hold powerful judges accountable to ensure our courts remain entirely uncompromised!