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The Utah Deception: How a $35.5 Million  Propaganda Machine and Complicit Media Hide America’s Second Most Corrupt State 

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By Wayne Wickizer, UtahStandardNews Columnist, June 9, 2025

Utah has orchestrated the most sophisticated government deception campaign in  American history, spending tens of millions in taxpayer dollars annually to  manufacture a false reputation while systematically covering up endemic corruption  that federal auditors have now confirmed [1]. The state’s #1 ranking in U.S. News &  World Report represents not governance excellence, but the triumph of propaganda  over truth—a carefully constructed lie that has fooled the nation while enriching  connected insiders and enabling systematic fraud [2] [3]

Utah’s corruption metrics versus its fabricated, state ranking reveals a stunning  contradiction.

The newly released federal audit findings provide stunning validation of what  Justice4All has documented for years: Utah operates as a criminal enterprise disguised  as good governance, with complicit media outlets serving as the propaganda arm for  a corruption network that has defrauded taxpayers of hundreds of millions of dollars  [4] [5] [1]

Federal Validation: Treasury Department Exposes Systematic Fraud 

The U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General’s December 2024 audit delivers a  devastating blow to Utah’s carefully constructed image, identifying $47.1 million in  questioned CARES Act costs and determining that “Utah’s risk of unallowable use  of funds is high” [1] [5]. Federal auditors found that Utah’s contracts and grants  exceeding $50,000 “did not comply with the CARES Act and Treasury’s Guidance,”  representing systematic violations of federal law rather than isolated mistakes [1]

Utah’s systematic CARES Act corruption totaling over $402 million in questionable  expenditures. 

The audit’s findings directly corroborate Wayne Wickizer’s explosive Petition for Writ  of Quo Warranto, which documented how Governor Spencer Cox and his  administration created what amounts to a RICO-like enterprise that funneled $164.6 million in CARES Act funds to Cox’s campaign donors while hiding an additional  $127.5 million in a secret “covert fund” within the Executive Office [5] [3]. This  represents the largest documented case of federal fund fraud at the state level, yet  Utah’s media outlets have maintained a virtual blackout on these revelations [4]

The LDS Church Media Monopoly: Systematic Propaganda Control 

Utah’s deception succeeds because of an unprecedented media control structure that  would make authoritarian regimes envious [7] [8] [9]. The Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter-day Saints owns and operates a media empire that reaches over 11 million  annual audience impressions through its Deseret Management Corporation and  Bonneville International subsidiaries [7] [8] [10]

This religious media monopoly creates a closed information ecosystem where  corruption evidence is systematically suppressed while propaganda narratives receive  massive amplification [7] [11]. The Deseret News, owned directly by the LDS Church  through Deseret Management Corporation, has maintained editorial silence on federal  audit findings that would trigger impeachment proceedings in any transparent  democracy [7] [1]. Similarly, KSL-TV and KSL Radio, both owned by the church’s  Bonneville International, have provided minimal coverage of Treasury Department  findings while continuing to promote Utah’s fraudulent #1 ranking [8] [9] [1]

The scope of this media control extends beyond news outlets to comprehensive  message coordination across print, broadcast, and digital platforms [10] [12]. Bonneville  International alone controls 21 radio stations across major markets, while its  television properties reach millions of viewers who receive carefully curated  narratives designed to maintain Utah’s false reputation [8] [13] [10]

The $35.5 Million Propaganda Machine: Taxpayer-Funded Deception 

Utah’s propaganda operation represents the most expensive state-level reputation  management campaign in American history, consuming $35.5 million annually in taxpayer funds to manufacture false credibility while hiding systematic corruption [2] [14]. This massive investment dwarfs the propaganda budgets of most developing  nations yet operates under the false pretense of economic development and tourism  promotion [2]

Utah’s $35.5 million annual propaganda spending breakdown by category 

The Tourism Marketing Performance Fund alone consumes $21.8 million annually,  ostensibly for visitor promotion but actually functioning as a slush fund for reputation  engineering that directly targets U.S. News ranking criteria [2] [14]. Additional spending  includes $5.2 million for Struck Agency contracts that create sophisticated  marketing campaigns designed to shape public perception surveys, $3 million for  crisis management to suppress corruption scandals, and millions more for digital  campaigns and media buying [2].

This propaganda apparatus operates with surgical precision, emphasizing metrics that  U.S. News weights heavily while systematically obscuring the corruption evidence  that would destroy Utah’s manufactured reputation [2] [15]. The “Utah Way” campaigns  specifically target resident sentiment surveys that comprise 20% of U.S. News  rankings, while economic impact claims feed directly into the fiscal stability and  economy categories where Utah ranks #1 and #3 respectively [2] [1]

Documented Corruption: The Evidence Media Won’t Report 

While Utah’s propaganda machine promotes its #1 ranking, the documented evidence  of corruption reads like a criminal indictment that media outlets systematically ignore  [3] [4]. Utah ranks as the second most corrupt state in America with a BestLife  corruption index score of 94.9 out of 100, where 100 represents maximum corruption  [3]. The state leads the nation in Ponzi schemes per capita at 1.35 per 100,000  residents, nearly three times higher than any other state [16] [3]

The Center for Public Integrity’s State Integrity Investigation provides additional  damning evidence that Utah media refuses to acknowledge [3]. Utah received F grades  across critical governance categories: Political Financing (44/100, ranking 40th  nationally), Executive Accountability (49/100, ranking 45th nationally), Ethics  Enforcement Agencies (47/100, ranking 41st nationally), and Lobbying Disclosure  (56/100, ranking 35th nationally) [3] [5]. These are not close calls; they represent  systematic institutional failure across every major accountability mechanism [3]

Utah’s designation as the “Affinity Fraud Capital of America” reflects $1.5 billion in  documented losses from 2008-2018, with the state recording 48 public corruption  convictions per 10,000 residents—six times the national average [3] [17] [16]. Yet  none of these statistics receive meaningful coverage in Utah’s LDS Church controlled media ecosystem, which instead promotes false narratives about Utah’s  supposed ethical leadership [3] [4].

The CARES Act Corruption Network: Federal Fraud Exposed 

The federal audit findings reveal that Utah’s CARES Act administration functioned  as a pay-to-play criminal enterprise rather than pandemic relief [1] [5]. Governor Cox  appointed major campaign donors to COVID-19 response taskforces, creating a  systematic mechanism for insider dealing that directed federal funds to connected  businesses while hiding the transactions from public scrutiny [5] [18]

Nomi Health represents the most egregious example of this corruption network [19] [20]. The company, led by CEO Mark Newman and connected to Cox campaign donors,  received over $15 million in Utah contracts despite having no healthcare delivery  experience and later facing federal compliance violations [19] [20] [2]. Tennessee  terminated its Nomi contract early over performance concerns, yet the Utah media  provided minimal coverage of these failures while continuing to promote the  company’s supposed success [19]

The $127.5 million “covert fund” within Cox’s Executive Office represents perhaps the  most brazen violation of transparency requirements in state history [5] [2]. This slush  fund operated without legislative oversight or public disclosure, enabling systematic  fund diversion to campaign donors and connected businesses [5]. Federal auditors’  findings that Utah failed to properly track and document expenditures validates  allegations that this fund facilitated systematic fraud [1] [5]

Scott Anderson of Zions Bank exemplifies the systematic nature of this corruption,  serving on taskforces that oversaw fund allocation while personally donating  $200,072.93 to Cox’s campaigns [5] [18].  

Derek Miller, President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, chaired the  COVID Economic Response Taskforce all-the-while the Chamber received $1.63 million in CARES Act funds—a clear conflict of interest that Utah media ignored  [5]. Yet Miller, navigating like Machiavelli through the fierce grip of COVID’s contrived Mania looking almost gleeful, proclaimed that (Utah), “…should never let  a good crisis go to waste ….” Watch the video HERE.  

Media Complicity Timeline: Systematic Cover-Up Exposed Utah’s media outlets haven’t simply failed to investigate corruption—they have actively participated in covering it up while amplifying propaganda narratives [4] [6]. This systematic complicity follows a clear timeline that reveals coordinated message  control rather than independent journalism [4]

February 2021: Justice4All publishes comprehensive evidence documenting Utah as  the second most corrupt state, yet Deseret News, KSL-TV, and KSL Radio provide  no meaningful coverage [3] [4]. Simultaneously, Utah achieves its first #1 U.S. News  ranking, with media outlets providing extensive positive coverage while ignoring the  corruption evidence [4]

July 2022: Utah State Auditor John Dougall finds “problems with the state’s internal  control of federal money” during fiscal year 2021, when Utah spent $8.6 billion in  federal funds representing 28.9% of total state expenditures [14]. Media coverage  remains minimal, with findings buried in business sections rather than receiving front page investigation [14] [4]

December 2024: Treasury Office of Inspector General releases devastating audit  findings identifying $47.1 million in questioned costs and systematic CARES Act  violations [1]. Utah’s media response constitutes a virtual blackout, with no major  investigative coverage despite the findings representing the largest federal fraud case  in state history [1] [4]

2025: Media outlets continue promoting Utah’s #1 ranking while federal evidence of  systematic corruption mounts [1] [2]. The Utah Legislature quietly changes press  credentialing rules to exclude independent media outlets that might provide critical coverage, demonstrating institutional capture extends beyond individual outlets to  systematic press control [21]

The Manipulation Methodology: Gaming Rankings Through Propaganda 

Utah’s success in maintaining its fraudulent #1 ranking while operating systematic  corruption represents a case study in modern propaganda techniques that exploit  ranking methodologies [15] [2]. U.S. News & World Report’s reliance on 78.1% self reported data creates perfect conditions for the systematic manipulation that Utah  has perfected [15] [22]

The state’s $35.5 million propaganda budget specifically targets metrics that U.S.  News weights heavily, creating artificial improvements in measured outcomes while  corruption flourishes in unmeasured areas [2] [15]. Tourism campaigns tie visitor  spending to education funding and job creation, directly supporting Utah’s #3  Economy and #1 Fiscal Stability rankings despite federal funds comprising 27% of  the state budget [2] [14]

“Utah Way” campaigns specifically shape resident sentiment surveys that comprise  20% of U.S. News rankings, using sophisticated messaging to promote perceptions of  effective governance while systematic ethical violations remain hidden [2] [15]. Crisis  management contracts worth millions annually ensure that corruption scandals  receive minimal coverage, preventing negative events from affecting ranking-relevant  metrics [2]

This represents methodological arbitrage on an unprecedented scale—states can  purchase credibility through propaganda spending rather than improving actual  governance [2] [15]. Utah has proven that investing $35.5 million annually in reputation  management produces better ranking results than investing similar amounts in anti corruption measures or institutional reforms [2].

Institutional Capture: When Media Becomes State Propaganda 

Utah’s media control extends beyond ownership to systematic institutional capture  that transforms journalism into state propaganda [7] [11] [10]. The revolving door  between government, LDS Church leadership, and media management creates  conflicts of interest that make independent coverage impossible [7] [10]

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Sr.’s media investments and current LDS  Church media holdings represent a concentrated power structure that eliminates  meaningful opposition voices [18] [10]. Corporate advertising pressure from state  tourism and economic development agencies provides additional leverage over  nominally independent outlets like The Salt Lake Tribune, which has shifted toward  more accommodating coverage patterns [23] [24]

The recent changes to Utah Legislature press credentialing rules demonstrate that  institutional capture now extends to systematic exclusion of independent journalists  [21]. By denying credentials to outlets like Utah Political Watch while maintaining  access for compliant organizations, Utah’s political establishment creates an  information environment where only favorable coverage receives official platform  [21].  

This institutional capture explains why revelations that would trigger immediate  federal investigation in other states receive minimal coverage in Utah [4] [1]. Media  outlets understand that aggressive corruption coverage threatens their access to  officials, advertising revenue from state agencies, and social standing within Utah’s  tight-knit power structure [24] [21]

Federal Evidence Demands Criminal Prosecution 

The convergence of federal audit findings with documented evidence of systematic  corruption creates an overwhelming case for criminal prosecution under federal  racketeering statutes [1 ][5] [15]. Treasury auditors’ determination that Utah demonstrated “high risk of unallowable use of funds” with $47.1 million in questioned costs represents prima facie evidence of criminal intent rather than administrative error [1]

Wayne Wickizer’s petition provides the prosecutorial roadmap, documenting how  Governor Cox’s undisclosed conflicts of interest, systematic appointment of campaign  donors to oversight positions, and creation of hidden slush funds constitute a criminal  enterprise that defrauded federal taxpayers [5] [3]. The $164.6 million directed to Cox  campaign donors through CARES Act programs represents systematic fraud that  exceeds the scale of most federal corruption prosecutions [5]

Utah’s affinity fraud designation and $1.5 billion in documented losses demonstrate  that corruption extends far beyond individual cases to institutional failure that enables  systematic criminal activity [3] [17] [16]. The state’s F grades across accountability  measures show that existing institutions cannot provide remedies for corruption this  systematic [3] [5]

The Utah Model: A Template for Authoritarian Corruption 

Utah’s success in maintaining #1 rankings while operating systematic corruption has  created a template that threatens democratic governance nationwide [2] [15]. Other  states are studying Utah’s propaganda techniques while federal ranking systems  remain vulnerable to similar manipulation [15] [22]

The three-pillar Utah model—political corruption, media control, and massive  propaganda investment—provides a roadmap for purchasing false legitimacy that  authoritarian movements worldwide are adapting [2] [7] [10]. Religious media ownership  combined with systematic propaganda spending creates information environments  where evidence-based journalism becomes impossible [7] [11]

U.S. News & World Report’s methodology, dependent on self-reported data and  subjective surveys, incentivizes states to invest in reputation management rather than  governance improvement [15] [22]. This creates a race to the bottom where propaganda effectiveness matters more than policy effectiveness, ultimately undermining the  accountability mechanisms that democratic governance requires [15].

Conclusion: Federal Intervention Required to Restore Democracy 

Utah’s systematic corruption, enabled by complicit media and funded through massive  propaganda spending, represents an existential threat to democratic accountability  that requires immediate federal intervention [1] [5] [2]. The Treasury Department’s audit  findings provide sufficient evidence for criminal prosecution under federal  racketeering statutes, while the scale of deception demands comprehensive  investigation of all Utah federal funding [1] [15]

The LDS Church’s media monopoly must face Federal Communications Commission  investigation for antitrust violations, while U.S. News & World Report’s ranking  methodology requires reform to prevent future manipulation [7] [8] [15]. Most critically,  federal prosecutors must pursue RICO charges against the Cox administration for  systematic fraud that has defrauded taxpayers of hundreds of millions while  corrupting national governance assessments [5] [1]

Utah’s model proves that democracy cannot survive when religious institutions  control media narratives, when propaganda budgets exceed accountability  mechanisms, and when federal oversight relies on self-reported data from systematic  liars [2] [7] [15]. Only aggressive federal intervention can break the corruption network  that has turned America’s second most corrupt state into its supposed best-governed,  restoring honest assessment and democratic accountability to Utah governance [3] [1] [5]

The evidence is overwhelming, the federal findings are conclusive, and the threat to  democratic institutions is immediate [1] [5] [3]. Utah’s $35.5 million propaganda  machine has successfully deceived the nation for years, but federal auditors have  finally provided the documentation necessary to end this systematic fraud and restore  government accountability [2] [1] [15].

Links (You’ll have to copy/paste… sorry)

1. https://oig.treasury.gov/system/files/2025-05/March-2025-SAR-Final-508- copy-SECURED.pdf  

2. https://justice4all.blog/2024/02/29/the-who-cares-act-crimes-that-define utahs-legacy/  

3. Most-Corrupt-State-…-Utah-Ranks-2nd-Justice4All.pdf  4. Media-Wars-Part-I_-Smearing-Truth-Praising-Liars-Justice4All.pdf  5. A-Petition-for-Accountability_-Exposing-Systemic-C.pdf  6. https://justice4all.blog/ 

7. https://www.deseret.com/2000/6/25/19513803/what-is-lds-church-s involvement/  

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_International  

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KSL-TV  

10.https://www.deseretmanagement.com  

11.https://adfontesmedia.com/deseret-news-bias-and-reliability/  

12.https://www.deseret.com/1991/7/3/18929041/lds-church-uses-media empire-to-set-example-in-communities/ 

13.https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/b/BONNEVILLE_INTER NATIONAL_CORPORATION.shtml 

14.https://www.ksl.com/article/50439357/utah-audit-finds-issues-with-states control-of-billions-in-federal-pandemic-funds  

15.https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/five-years-post cares-act-irs-ci-has-launched-2039-covid-fraud-investigations-totaling-10b in-attempted-fraud  

16.https://www.ksl.com/article/46541729/does-utah-deserve-the-title-fraud capital-of-the-united-states  

17.https://balanced-capital.com/heber-valleys-best/utah-fraud-capital-of-the world  

18.https://www.utahpoliticalwatch.news/big-donors-dominate-cox-campaign fueled-by-pac-and-corporate-money/ 

12 

19.https://www.fox13now.com/news/fox-13-investigates/how-a-utah-company won-then-lost-a-26-5-million-pandemic-contract-in-tennessee  

20.https://www.fox13now.com/news/fox-13-investigates/fox-13-investigates how-much-utah-has-paid-for-testutah-and-what-workers-said-about-it  

21.https://www.utahpoliticalwatch.news/utah-legislature-quietly-changes press-rules-shutting-out-independent-media/  

22.https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Treasury-OIG statement-Delmar.pdf  

23.https://www.resistance.org/salt-lake-tribune 24.https://www.utahpoliticalwatch.news/spencer-coxs-campaign/

The “AI Existential Risk” Industrial Complex

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The “AI Existential Risk” Industrial Complex

ChatGPT’s launch in 2022 sparked a wave of AI doomerism. The leading voices in the “AI will kill us all” camp have confidently predicted the END of humanity is near. “We believe humans will be wiped out by Godlike AI.” Though “with enough money and effort, we might be able to save humanity from the impending AI apocalypse.” They talked about an “AI takeover” during their takeover of media and policymaking. Since then, we have been in an unprecedented AI panic.

The “AI Existential Risk” Ecosystem’s Funding

Their “AI Existential Risk” ideology had the financial backing of $1.6 billion from a few Effective Altruism billionaires, namely Dustin Moskovitz, Jaan Tallinn, Vitalik Buterin, and Sam Bankman-Fried (yes, the convicted felon).

Moskovitz’s Open Philanthropy is by far the largest donor1 to most of the “AI Existential Risk” organizations.

More at

The “AI Existential Risk” Industrial Complex