The Utah Attorney General’s Office has charged state Rep. Trevor Lee with two counts of fraud and two forgery-related counts stemming from allegedly falsified documents related to the mortgage on his Layton home.
Lee, a 35-year-old Republican who lost his reelection bid in the June primary, promptly resigned his House seat after the charges were filed in 3rd District Court. The Salt Lake Tribune confirmed in July that the attorney general’s office was investigating Lee.
“Due to personal circumstances that require my attention, I no longer feel I can give my constituents the time, attention, and service they deserve,” Lee said in a statement. “I will always be grateful for the people I have met, the relationships I have built, and the opportunity I have had to serve the people of Utah.”
House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, who was a key donor to Lee’s reelection campaign, said in a statement: “I appreciate Rep. Lee’s service and accept his resignation.” Lee would have remained in the House through December.
The charges accuse Lee of having falsified a contract with a company named Enevive — including forging the signature of its CEO — purporting to show that he made $168,000 annually from the business in order to get a $1 million home loan from Kind Lending last year.
Trent Spafford, the CEO of Enevive, recorded videos of conversations with Lee and one, according to the court documents, shows Lee asking for a $93,000 advance so he could get the home loan.
He also allegedly said “he would make Spafford ‘whole’ by securing Spafford’s company a government contract with Hill Air Force Base,” the documents said.
Read the full article by Robert Gehrke, Emily Anderson Stern and Addy Baird at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.