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].
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].
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/
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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/
