Utah leaders to probe relationship between Supreme Court justice, redistricting lawyer

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's governor, Senate president and House speaker are launching an investigation into Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen and allegations that she had a relationship with an attorney arguing cases before the high court.

Those allegations are detailed in a complaint submitted late last year to both Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and the Judicial Conduct Commission.

The complaint, which was obtained exclusively by KSL through a public records request, came from a Provo-based attorney who said Hagen's ex-husband told him the justice had exchanged "inappropriate" text messages with David Reymann, one of the attorneys involved in a case about redistricting, which led to Utah getting a new congressional map.

Hagen strongly denies allegations of an inappropriate relationship of any kind. Reymann also called the allegations "false." He does outside legal work for KSL and as an attorney for the Utah Media Coalition, of which KSL is a member.

The Judicial Conduct Commission conducted a preliminary investigation into the complaint and interviewed Hagen's ex-husband but ultimately decided not to investigate further. Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz told KSL that's concerning.

"An initial review by the Judicial Conduct Commission and the court left important questions unresolved," they said in a joint statement Thursday. "Allegations of this nature, especially involving public officials, must be examined with transparency and accountability to establish the facts and to maintain public confidence."

They added, "We will move forward with an independent investigation to ensure the facts are fully examined. This process will be conducted objectively and thoroughly, because maintaining trust in our institutions is essential."

What the allegations say

The allegations originally come from Hagen's ex-husband, Tobin Hagen, who said he suspected the justice began having an inappropriate relationship with Reymann, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit over Utah's redistricting maps.

Tobin Hagen allegedly described the circumstances surrounding his divorce proceedings to another attorney, including allegations that Diana Hagen had exchanged text messages with Reymann, which Tobin Hagen said began as "silly" and then became "more suggestive."

The case, League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature, is arguably the highest-profile legal case to reach the Utah Supreme Court in years. The justices issued a unanimous ruling in July 2024 saying lawmakers overreached by changing Proposition 4, an anti-gerrymandering ballot initiative.

Many Republican lawmakers reacted with outrage and promised to continue appealing the case, suggesting it was likely to return to the Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs who sued the Legislature filed an additional complaint in the same case later in 2024, challenging Amendment D — an effort by lawmakers to give themselves power to overturn ballot initiatives. Hagen wrote the majority opinion upholding a lower court ruling invalidating the amendment which was finalized in October 2024.

Attorney Michael Worley said he received the allegations from Tobin Hagen through a Facebook message, and Worley later filed a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Commission in late December 2025, saying he felt his role as an attorney of the bar required him to disclose the information. Tobin Hagen did not approve of the complaint being filed with the commission, according to documents, but "acknowledged its accuracy."

Worley cited court rules, including that judges "shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety," as the reason for his complaint. Worley emphasized that he had no independent knowledge of the allegations other than what Tobin Hagen told him.

What the Hagens say

In an interview with a Judicial Conduct Commission investigator, Tobin Hagen said his marriage was deteriorating in 2024. He said he and his wife interacted socially with Reymann in November and December 2024.

Tobin Hagen alleged he discovered "inappropriate text messages" between the justice and Reymann in February 2025. He did not show the messages to investigators.

In her declaration to the Judicial Conduct Commission, Diana Hagen said she was "faithful to my ex-husband for more than 30 years. I never engaged in extramarital sex with anyone prior to our separation." She said she had suggested a divorce in September 2024, and the couple separated in April 2025.

According to the justice, she met with Reymann in a public place to catch up in March of 2025, the first time they had "talked one-on-one in person in many years." However, she also noted that she and her then-husband attended a gathering at Reymann's house on Nov. 3, 2024 — less than two weeks after she wrote the opinion in the Amendment D case. She also said she and her then-husband sat with Reymann at the Salt Lake County Bar holiday party on Dec. 6, 2024.

Diana Hagen recused herself from hearing the redistricting case when it returned to the Supreme Court last September, and recently recused herself from hearing other filings in the case. That recusal notice filed last week said she voluntarily disqualified herself after renewing close friendships with Reymann and Cheylynn Hayman, another attorney who is a shareholder in the firm where Reymann works, in "early 2025."

Hayman is chair of the Judicial Conduct Commission, but a spokesman for the commission said in a statement Thursday that Hayman recused herself and did not participate in the commission's investigation. The spokesperson declined to discuss the case in detail.

The investigator for the commission noted that a full investigation could have included interviewing Reymann and his wife, the Hagens' two adult children, and issuing a subpoena for the text messages exchanged between Reymann and the justice.

However, the investigator wrote that there was "insufficient evidence" to back up the allegations and that taking those further steps "would be intrusive and potentially embarrassing for those involved."

What's next?

The governor, Senate president and House speaker did not provide a timeline for the investigation or who specifically would carry it out.

Hagen was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court in March 2022 by Cox and was confirmed in May of that year. Prior to that, she served on the Utah Court of Appeals. She is a graduate of the University of Utah law school and worked at Parr, Brown, Gee & Loveless and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah.

KSL reached out to Hagen for comment through the Utah State Courts but did not hear back.

Related topics