SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued a statement after photos taken at an Arlington National Cemetery memorial service ended up in his campaign materials - which goes against federal law.
Campaign staffers distributed photos from a wreath-laying event that was also attended by former President Donald Trump.
However, photos and videos taken by Trump's team have not, to date, been publicized in any of his campaign materials.
The incident came to light when Alan Wessman, the United Utah Party candidate for the Utah County Commission, noticed Cox's campaign used photos of the memorial service honoring the 13 service members who died during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Wessman posted a message to X, along with a photo of Cox's mailer - which solicited donations for his re-election efforts.
"Arlington National Cemetery forbids use of its grounds for political events," Wessman posted. "When an event there is billed as a private memorial service but is attended by campaign staff and photographers, and the photos get used in campaign mailers, it’s evidence that it was a campaign event."
He shared an image he received via email that showed Trump standing next to Cox and his family during the wreath-laying ceremony.
The image was accompanied with a message, the portions of which Wessman shared are included below:
Dear ALAN,Monday, President Trump and I had the profound honor of standing alongside the family of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, one of Utah's own, at Arlington National Cemetery. Together, we paid tribute to Staff Sgt. Hoover and the other 12 brave service members who lost their lives at Abbey Gate in Kabul three ...As we remember the fallen, I encourage each of you to take a moment to reflect on their sacrifice. These 13 individuals gave their lives so that we might live in freedom and peace. Let us honor their memory by committing ourselves to the principles they fought for and by supporting their families in their time of need.Gratefully yours,Governor Spencer Cox.If you would like to further support our campaign please consider the following options:The mailer then included two buttons respectively labeled "Host a Yard Sign" and "Donate."
Cox responded directly to Wessman's post.
"You are correct, Alan," the governor replied. "This was not a campaign event and was never intended to be used by the campaign. It did not go through the proper channels and should not have been sent. My campaign will be sending out an apology."
Later Wednesday afternoon, Cox released the following statement:
Wessman posted the statement to X, noting that Cox's explanation was sent without any donation buttons.
It wasn't immediately known whether the message sent in the original mailer was one Cox had drafted and approved for another purpose, if the message was meant to be sent out but without the options to donate, or if it was drafted by someone on his campaign but didn't receive the governor's approval.
KUTV 2News has requested an interview with the governor.
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