City drops investigation into lesbian accused of sexual misconduct after she's booted from council - LGBTQ Nation

Eva Lopez Chavez, a Democrat running for U.S. Congress, faced accusations from four people alleging sexual abuse with similar accounts. She maintained her innocence and welcomed an independent investigation, stating there was no wrongdoing and that the public deserved transparency. Her council duties were reduced after sexual misconduct allegations, and she was later removed from her seat because she did not live within district boundaries required by city and state law. The council voted unanimously to drop its investigation once she was no longer on the council. The committee instead planned a review of the city’s code of conduct. Council member Erika Carlsen said it was no longer appropriate to use council resources for an independent investigator for someone not on the council.

"“I welcomed an independent investigation because there is no wrongdoing, and was prepared tohave the facts examined openly and fairly,” her campaign said in a statement to LGBTQ Nation. “More importantly, the public deserves the utmost transparency with matters of all their elected leaders.”"

"The accusers - three women and one nonbinary person - were all people Lopez Chavez had encountered in her political career. The Salt Lake Tribune confirmed details in some of the stories. Earlier this month, Lopez Chavez's duties on the Salt Lake City Council were reduced due to the sexual misconduct accusations. Days later, she was removed from her seat after the city found that she did not live within her district's borders, a requirement under both city and state law."

"Then, last week, the city council voted unanimously to drop its investigation into her because she is no longer on the city council, Utah News Dispatch reports. Instead, the committee set up to investigate her will conduct a review of the city's code of conduct. Council member Erika Carlsen said it would “no longer [be] an appropriate role for the council” to use “council resources to retain an independent investigator” into someone who is not a part of the council anymore, despite the fact that she said that the accusations against Lopez Chavez are “serious.”"

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