Former Juab County Clerk/Auditor Alaina Lofgran is facing serious charges, including three felonies, related to her alleged mishandling and shredding of ballots from both the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. Lofgran held this position from 2015 until this year.
According to the Associated Press, Lofgran is accused of permitting the destruction of ballots shortly after the 2022 election. The law stipulates that these ballots should be preserved for at least 22 months to assist potential recounts. Furthermore, prosecutors assert that she improperly stored the 2020 election ballots. These ballots were discovered in a basement storage area accessible to multiple county employees and in plain sight, which contradicts state law mandating that they be securely locked away.
“These charges are serious and reflect the heavy responsibility of county clerks to uphold election law,” Republican Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said in a statement, per Fox 13.
“Public trust demands accountability of those who swear oaths to fulfill their duties with fidelity and then fail to do so.”
Ex-#UtahCounty clerk accused of shredding, mishandling 2020 and 2022 ballots – ABC News https://t.co/UEHfyq8rzA pic.twitter.com/2HMrOF3GB7
— Utah News Tweets (@Utah_Newspapers) November 3, 2023
These charges stem from a 2022 lawsuit that targeted Juab County, among other Utah counties, aimed at obtaining records from the 2020 election, as reported by the AP.
During the course of the lawsuit, a state judge had explicitly instructed Lofgran to safeguard records from the 2020 election. The alleged incidents in question were brought to light after a witness claimed to have seen Lofgran placing the 2022 ballots into a “shred bin” shortly following the election. This bin was concealed inside a closet located near the clerk’s office. Despite the requirement for these ballots to be removed from the shred bin to facilitate potential recounts, a deputy clerk purportedly observed Lofgran returning them to the bin at a later time.
“The election reports were done, and we don’t need them anymore,” Lofgran allegedly said.
Despite having knowledge of the court order instructing the preservation of the 2020 records in light of the ongoing lawsuit, investigators reported that none of the 4,795 ballots cast in the 2022 general election were discovered during a search of the county offices and the basement room. Furthermore, only a portion of the 5,932 ballots from the 2020 general election were recovered during the search conducted in March, as reported by the outlet.
Lofgran is now facing a series of charges related to election crimes, all of which are categorized as felonies. These charges include willful neglect of duty, destroying or concealing ballots, and destroying public records. In addition to the felony charges, she also faces two counts of improper ballot disposition and two counts of unofficial misconduct, both classified as misdemeanors.
