At Utah, legal action has been taken against Alaina Lofgran, a former county clerk, who is now facing a slew of charges, including felonies, for her alleged mishandling and shredding of ballots from both the 2020 and 2022 elections.
As reported by Daily Caller on November 4, Lofgran, who served as Juab County Clerk/Auditor from 2015 until this year, is accused of allowing the shredding of ballots shortly after the 2022 election, which is a breach of Utah state law that requires ballot preservation for at least 22 months to accommodate potential recounts. Prosecutors also claim she improperly stored the 2020 election ballots in a basement storage room, accessible to multiple county employees and in plain sight, contrary to state law requiring secure storage.
These charges have raised eyebrows among public officials. Republican Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson remarked, These charges are serious and reflect the heavy responsibility of county clerks to uphold election law. Public trust demands accountability of those who swear oaths to fulfill their duties with fidelity and then fail to do so, according to Daily Caller.
The charges stem from a 2022 lawsuit that targeted Juab County and other Utah counties, seeking records from the 2020 election. During the lawsuit, a state judge explicitly instructed Lofgran to preserve records from the 2020 election, as reported by the Associated Press.
The alleged incidents came to light when a witness claimed to have seen Lofgran placing the 2022 ballots in a shred bin located in a closet near the clerk’s office shortly after the election. Despite the importance of these ballots for potential recounts, they were later observed by a deputy clerk being returned to the shred bin by Lofgran.
Lofgran now faces a range of charges, including felonies like willful neglect of duty, destroying or concealing ballots, and destroying public records. She also faces misdemeanors, including two counts of improper ballot disposition and two counts of unofficial misconduct.
