Utah Senate president threatens critics with defamation lawsuits

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Senate President Stuart Adams is threatening several critics with defamation lawsuits for comments made following his primary election defeat in June.

Adams, a Layton Republican, sent letters through a law firm to four individuals last week, including Utah's state auditor, demanding retractions of statements he claims are defamatory.

"I want the lies to stop," Adams told KSL in a statement on Wednesday. "For months, false statements have been spread about me despite the facts and the public record, showing a reckless disregard for the truth, with the intent of damaging my reputation and causing tremendous harm to my family."

Adams, who lost his bid for reelection to Republican challenger Stephanie Hollist, demanded that those who received the letters "correct the record" within 14 days and "apologize for the lies."

Who did Adams send letters to?

In letters to State Auditor Tina Cannon and the hosts of the God & Country Podcast, Uriah Kennedy and Ingrid Bettridge, Adams accused them of making false claims about him during a podcast episode on June 28.

Cannon was addressing a recent spat between her office and some top GOP lawmakers over office space. The Capitol Preservation Board voted in December 2025 to relocate the state auditor's office to a different floor in the Capitol.

Adams claims Cannon made several false remarks on the podcast, including that he controls the board, that she was not given information about the new location, and that Adams "reprimanded" several lawmakers while also pledging to give junior senators offices in the main Capitol building if they supported his reelection as Senate president.

The president also said Cannon falsely claimed he influenced a 2024 law change to help his granddaughter, who was charged with having sex with a 13-year-old while she was 18 and in high school. Adams has faced criticism for not disclosing his personal connection to the law, but he was not the sponsor of the bill.

Cannon responded to Adams' demand letter in a text, saying she "refused to be bullied" by him.

"I hope Mr. Adams files suit," she later added. "He will be put under oath for a lengthy deposition, and we will have a lot of difficult questions for him."

Another letter was sent to Gabi Finlayson, senior partner at Elevate Strategies, who was sharply critical of Adams over his role as chair of Utah's Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA, which approved a controversial data center in Box Elder County.

Adams alleged that Finlayson, in an Instagram video on June 25, made defamatory statements about him, including similar claims that he influenced a bill to help his granddaughter. He also says Finlayson falsely asserted that he committed campaign violations and kept plans for the data center from the public.

"Mr. Adams never attempted to keep the Stratos Project from the public," Tanner Bean, the Senate president's attorney, wrote in the letter to Finlayson. "To the contrary, the project was the subject of a variety of well-publicized press releases and public meetings."

"The voters have spoken and I'm sure Mr. Adams is unhappy about the result. But looking to blame others, rather than taking accountability, is not the answer," Finlayson said in response. "I will continue to exercise my First Amendment right to free speech and will not be silenced by intimidation, threats or bullying."

Hollist, who defeated Adams in the GOP primary in June, will appear on the November general election ballot against Democrat Garret Rushforth and Constitution Party candidate Jeffrey Ostler. After that election, Republican senators will then choose a replacement for Adams, who has served as Senate president since 2018.

Proving defamation as a public official is an uphill battle, as the U.S. Supreme Court has set a high bar for demonstrating "actual malice." That means the person knew the statements were false and still acted recklessly.

Related topics