Exclusive: Utah leaders went rogue in early coronavirus response, emails from health experts show
Documents reveal a power struggle between state budget managers and public health officials.
(Scott Sommerdorf | Tribune file photo) Kristen Cox, Executive Director of the Utah Office of Management and Budget, turns to answer a question about the Governor's budget during Utah Governor Gary Herbert's visit with The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017. Cox has since left state office but email correspondence shows her department was heavily in Utah’s early coronavirus response.
| Updated: Jan. 4, 2021, 2:39 p.m.
The powerful state budget managers who controlled key parts of Utah’s initial coronavirus response were skeptical about the value of medical expertise in handling the crisis and made repeated attempts to resist or subvert health officials, according to records obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune.