Backers of West Hills sued the would-be town's opponents in August 2025 — three months before incorporation was to be decided by voters.
The claim by a pro-West Hills group called The Preserve was that Kamas City leaders and the Kamas Valley Preservation Association had launched a coordinated effort to sour locals on the plan.
They wanted such efforts stopped and for Kamas City to rescind an ordinance opposing West Hills before any ballots were cast.
The election was called off, at least for one year.
And May 6, U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart declined to sanction Kamas, KVPA or any of the named defendants.
The judge found the various emails and communications the lawsuit relied on didn’t amount to fraud or a pattern of illegal activity.
The Preserve was formerly Cascade Capital Group and owns 266 acres between the Kamas gun club and Tuhaye south of state Route 248.
It had accused Kamas Mayor Matt McCormick and nearby residents Jeramy Bristol, Lindy Sternlight and Craig Savage of conspiracy.
Savage, a supporter of KVPA, was happy to hear about the dismissal.
“To be honest with you, it was so silly I totally forgot about it,” the Tuhaye resident told KPCW. “I knew this would be the result, and I’m glad the federal court saw it that way.”
The Preserve had sued under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the 1970 federal law aimed at eliminating the mafia and organized crime.
The Preserve is owned in part by Sam Castor, an attorney with Las Vegas-based Lex Tecnica, which drafted the lawsuit.
Castor told KPCW in a statement that “The Preserve plans to continue litigating.”
McCormick didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“They can't go after public officials and professional people without foundation,” added Savage, who made his career in finance.
Some West Hills supporters are attorneys at firms that have now mobilized against local governments. They believe public officials in Summit County haven’t been sufficiently neutral on incorporation.
A new state lawsuit was filed April 29 by the Salt Lake City firm Kimball Anderson, where the incorporation sponsor Derek Anderson is a partner.
His colleagues Paul Anderson and William Kimball are fighting for the release of Summit County records they believe will demonstrate “coordinated opposition” to West Hills.
Those requests have been repeatedly rejected and labeled “overly broad.” The county has not responded in court.
The November 2025 vote on West Hills never happened because ten landowners opposing the town successfully sued to block it.
That lawsuit is still pending, so there’s a chance the town goes back on the ballot in 2026.
The parties are awaiting a final decision from the Utah Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in February.
An attorney retained by the Kamas Valley Preservation Association and its current and former members, Michael Judd, is a shareholder at Parsons, Behle & Latimer, which is a financial supporter of KPCW.
