Whistleblower Veteran Files Petition Alleging $934 Million Scandal, Conflicts of Interest, and Obstruction of Justice

By Ed Wallace – Publisher, Utah Standard News

SALT LAKE CITY (Aug 11, 2025) 

SALT LAKE CITY — In what could become the most damning and politically explosive court case  in Utah’s history, Major Wayne L. Wickizer, a  retired U.S. Army Special Forces Intelligence Officer,  former FBI Special Agent, and widely recognized corruption investigator, has filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment accusing Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox of orchestrating a multi-million-dollar “pay-to-play” network during the COVID-19 pandemic that funneled federal relief funds through no-bid contracts, donor kickbacks, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.

The lawsuit, now pending in Utah’s Third Judicial District Court in Salt Lake County (Case No.250 906 456, assigned to Judge Teresa Welch), specifically includes the role of the state’s top executive, accusing him, and implicating others, of a systemic abuse of power and fraudulent conflict disclosures, in a scheme that awarded $934 million of CARES Act pandemic relief funds. The lawsuit also names Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, Scott Anderson, Gail Miller, and Mike Leavitt.

At the heart of the allegations is a $125 million grant, much of which “trickled down” and  benefited his family’s business, CentraCom, a private telecommunications firm, and a family relationship conspicuously absent from Cox’s official conflict-of-interest disclosures from at least 2020 through 2024.

The Whistleblower Behind the Petition

At 88 years old, Major Wickizer is no ordinary plaintiff. His résumé spans decades in military intelligence and law enforcement, including his central leadership role in exposing some of the largest organized crime and white-collar public corruption cases in the country. As a Special Agent for the Utah Attorney General’s Office, Wickizer spearheaded investigations that led to landmark convictions in one of Utah’s biggest public corruption cases of the 1980s:Utah Power and Light racketeering, bribery, and antitrust prosecutions.

Wickizer claims standing based on his personal expertise, track record of exposing corruption, and legal experience with public sector misconduct cases.

Wickizer says the evidence he has gathered against Governor Cox is “worse than anything I have ever seen,” citing direct documentary proof of false filings, financial self-dealing, and an entrenched culture of political protection for the state’s most powerful elites.

The Explosive Allegations Against Governor Cox

The petition lays out a sophisticated pattern of corruption including:

1. Cox filed falsely declared conflict-of-interest from 2020–2024.

2. Direct financial benefit to the Cox family via CentraCom following a $125 million UETN grant.

3. A web of no-bid contracts, redirected funds, and political donations that appears to reward Cox allies.

4. Appointments to powerful state task forces allegedly given as payoffs to donors.

5. Misuse of COVID emergency funds, including $1 million to the Sundance Institute despite legislative opposition and concerns over the promotion of obscene content.

6. Alleged Ethics violations by Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson, accused of ignoring and failing to enforce state disclosure laws.

The petition also cites findings from a Federal Treasury audit that flagged $47 million in questionable expenditures along with Wickizer’s discovery of $127 million categorized as going to “Multiple Recipients” – a vague designation often used to conceal recipient identities.

The Smoking Gun: CentraCom and Campaign Cash

According to the petition, CentraCom contracts skyrocketed during Cox’s time in office, and was among the larger beneficiaries of the Governor’s discretionary pandemic fund. Despite this, Governor Cox’s official disclosures failed to mention or list any relationship of his family’s relationship to the company.

In what Wickizer calls a textbook abuse of office, CentraCom’s pandemic-era contracts and grants ballooned, while other equally qualified applicants were bypassed. The petition alleges Cox knowingly omitted this relationship in violation of the Utah Constitution, state ethics statutes, and possibly federal law.

Pattern of Pay-to-Play

The lawsuit points to millions in public funds funneled to donors and political allies, including:

1. Nomi Health, which received large no-bid testing contracts during the pandemic and later contributed to Cox’s campaign.

2. Merit Medical, which reportedly received and then returned significant COVID relief funds – but not before making political donations.

3. Sundance Institute, granted $1 million despite legal concerns, in what critics say was a political and cultural favor to connected donors.

These arrangements echo the 2019 Utah Inland Port “pay-to-play” scandal, when Salt Lake Chamber President Derek Miller, a key Cox ally, was accused of soliciting $10,000 Chamber memberships in exchange for port access. In 2020, Miller was appointed by Governor Herbert to chair the COVID Economic Response Taskforce that oversaw Cares Act funds.

Obstruction and Judicial Complicity?

The petition goes further, alleging compromised judicial integrity at the highest level. It claims a sitting Utah Supreme Court Justice, Tom Lee, accepted gifts from a major Cox donor and failed to recuse himself from related matters, creating a direct conflict that undermines public trust in the court’s impartiality. Lee left his position as associate Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court.

Why It Matters

If proven, the allegations point to one of the largest and most brazen cases of “official U.S. government” CARES Act fraud in the nation. Wickizer’s case highlights how, under emergency powers, public money was funneled with little oversight, transparency, or accountability – often to those with the right political connections

Legal and Political Fallout Begins

This filing could mark a turning point in Utah politics, as it may soon overlap with ongoing investigations, calls for impeachment, and even federal prosecution. The Statement of Probable Cause, filed separately, includes over 90 exhibits, recordings, and internal links that support the allegations.

Legal experts and citizen watchdogs alike are watching closely. “This is not a political stunt,” one observer said. “It’s a ticking time bomb of truth. The evidence is extensive, documented, and will force a reckoning in Utah politics.”

Public Records & Transparency

All public records and court filings related to the case are being compiled by Utah Standard News and hosted under a new civic watchdog initiative, “The Republic Project,” dedicated to transparency and accountability.

Read the public documents here:

[Condensed Petition for Declaratory Judgment – PDF]

 01 Cover Letter & Executive Summary.pdf

[Reader’s Guide to Evidence]

Full Statement of Probable Cause

Calls for Immediate Action

Wickizer’s petition asks the court to:

1. Declare Cox’s actions illegal under state and federal law.

2. Void the $125 million CentraCom grant.

3. Expedite the case due to Wickizer’s advanced age and disability.

4. Waive all legal fees for both parties.                                                                                       

5. Formally recognize Wickizer’s petition as submitted in good faith.

Wickizer also warns of compromised judicial integrity: the petition claims a Utah Supreme Court Justice accepted gifts from a major Cox donor and failed to recuse himself.

Next Steps

1. Governor Cox is expected to be served with a summons on Wednesday morning.

2. Media outlets will have access to the full filings shortly thereafter.

3. Further court filings, public rallies, and grassroots outreach are anticipated.

4. Contact for public comment will soon be requested from Governor Cox’s office.

If the allegations prove true and withstand legal scrutiny, this case will not only upend Utah’s political leadership, and cement Spencer Cox’s place as the head of the most corrupt political regimes in Utah’s history, it could also serve as a national case study in how pandemic emergency powers, CARES Act fraud, and the Constitution were abused for political and personal gain.

📅 TIMELINE: From Inland Port Scandal to ~$934 Million CARES Act Controversy

2019: Inland Port “Pay-to-Play” Scandal

.  Derek Miller, President of the Salt Lake Chamber and Chair of the Utah Inland Port Authority, is accused of soliciting $10,000 Chamber memberships from companies seeking port access.

 . Source: Deseret News, 2019

March 24, 2020: Derek Miller Appointed to Lead COVID Economic Response

 . Gov. Gary Herbert appoints Miller to head the Utah Economic Response Task Force.

 . Same day: “Utah Leads Together” economic recovery plan released, Chamber-led webinar series launched.

 . Source: Utah.gov Press Release, 2020

April–October 2020: CARES Act Disbursements Begin and Cox has personal control over ~$934,000,000.00 from which is dispensed pay to play grift.

 . Utah receives ~$1.25 billion in federal COVID relief funds.

 . Discretionary funds controlled by the Governor’s Office go to select companies, many with political ties.

 . $125 million grant awarded to Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) and “trickled down” to CentraCom.

 . Source: US Treasury CARES Act Allocations and Wickizer’s investigations.

2020–2024: Omitted Conflicts of Interest

 . Governor Cox files annual conflict-of-interest forms that omit family ties to CentraCom.

 . Despite omission, UETN receives largest single award from discretionary pandemic funds.

 . Source: Utah State Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures (court exhibits).

March 2023: Federal Audit and Wickizer Investigation Flags Questionable Spending

 . U.S. Treasury audit identifies $47 million in questionable expenditures and Wickizer Investigation uncovers $127 million labeled “Multiple Recipients.”

 . Transparency advocates raise alarms about insufficient documentation.

 . Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Wickizer investigation.

July 2025: Petition for Declaratory Judgment Filed

 . Major Wayne L. Wickizer files in Third Judicial District Court, naming Governor Cox and referencing others in CARES Act fraud, conflict-of-interest violations, and misuse of public funds.

 . Governor Cox to be served with summons Wednesday morning.