A single text stirs political fallout in Cache County election

LOGAN — A text message is blowing up into a whole lot of political fallout in Cache County.

All of it came to light after a county employee took her concerns to the county council. The county employee took her grievances to the council meeting because she said her concerns about a possible threat were not being taken seriously.

The meeting was unusual, with several council members showing solidarity for the county’s director of victim services, Terryl Warner.

It all stemmed from one text message.

“I read it as a threat, so I sent it to a couple of friends and said, ‘Am I reading this right?’” Teryl Warner said.

She said she got it earlier this year after showing Cameron Cox, a public defender and candidate for county attorney, around the Children’s Justice Center where she works.

Warner read the text: “I learned you were campaigning for Taylor and saying things about me that are not true. Best of luck. I’m an honest and good person. “If I don’t win this election, I will [win] the next one and make your next four years a self-reflecting experience.”

The message accused Warner of helping with Taylor Sorenson’s campaign, Cox’s opponent, and the current interim county attorney. Warner said she was not campaigning for him but did help him with an event related to her office that was not a campaign event.

“So fast forward, I hear from now multiple people, including delegates in this election, there’s lies spread about me,” Cox said.

That’s why Cox said he sent the text. Warner denies saying anything negative about Cox.  But Cox also said he was misunderstood.

“If my opponent gets elected, they’re getting somebody in that position with no experience for that position,” Cox said. “They don’t have the experience to lead that office in this county.”

He said that’s what he meant.

“And if I get elected, she’s going to have four years of self-reflection because I’m going to question and I’m going to see where every single dollar and cent is being spent,” Cox said.

Cox accused Warner of mis-spending funds, something Warner said in her complaint that her past boss is being investigated for and not her.

Warner took the e-mail to the council because she said county executive David Zook would not sign off on an independent investigation into Cox’s actions.

“It’s just frustrating and I feel like I’m in a fight for my job,” Warner said.

Zook said he would not sign off on the investigation because the county code states that public defenders need to be able to operate independently and know that the county does not have any undue influence over them.

Still, we’re told that the council did move forward with funding for an independent investigator.