Republican State Representative Trevor Lee resigned from the Utah House on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, after the Utah Attorney General's Office charged him with four felonies involving fraud and forgery. Lee, who represented Layton in House District 16, resigned effective immediately, citing personal reasons in a statement released through the House of Representatives.
Felony Charges and Penalties
The charges against Lee involve allegations that he forged employment documents to secure a home loan. According to court documents filed by the Utah Attorney General's Office, Lee is facing two second-degree felonies: one count of communications fraud and one count of mortgage fraud. Both charges carry a potential penalty of one to 15 years in prison. Additionally, Lee faces two third-degree felonies, including one count of forgery and one count of possession of a forgery device, which carry potential penalties of up to five years in prison.
Allegations of Income Inflation
Investigators allege that Lee sought to inflate his income on mortgage paperwork by requesting $93,000 in cash advances from Trent Spafford, the CEO of the water treatment company Enevive. The charging documents state that Lee promised Spafford he would make the CEO "whole" by helping Spafford's company secure a government contract with Hill Air Force Base.
In his mortgage applications, Lee claimed to be the sales director of Blue Logic, a different water treatment company, with a monthly salary of $15,833. He also claimed to have worked for Enevive from July 2024 to October 2025 with a monthly salary of $13,761. However, investigators noted that the income reported for Enevive was contradicted by Lee's own W-2, which showed total wages of $55,634 for the year 2024.
Disputed Employment Status
A representative for Blue Logic stated that the company had made Lee an offer that he never actually accepted. The representative noted that Lee had requested the employment letter specifically to help him obtain a home loan and clarified that Lee was a contract employee rather than a full-time employee. The company added that the letter was prepared as a favor to Lee as a friend and was not an accurate representation of his employment status.
Mortgage and Forgery Details
The fraudulent documents were part of a $1 million conventional loan structured as a refinance, which returned $317,190.99 in cash to Lee. Spafford, the CEO of Enevive, told investigators that the employment documents attached to the application were fraudulent and that his signature on the documents had been forged.
While Lee initially denied signing Spafford's name, court documents indicate that he later confirmed to prosecutors that the Enevive employment contract was not signed by Spafford and that Lee had signed it himself. Lee also acknowledged that he knew Blue Logic would not have been able to afford the salary he had listed in the loan application.
Political Background and Prior Allegations
Lee's resignation follows a period of intense political scrutiny. He was a prominent conservative member of the Utah Legislature, known for sponsoring unsuccessful measures aimed at barring immigrants from public assistance and removing legal protections for Utah's transgender community.
The investigation into Lee follows public accusations made by Spafford and Jason Walton, the president of Moxie Pest Control, shortly before the Davis County Republican Party Nominating Convention. Walton had previously called on voters not to reelect Lee, citing an incident from 2013 in which Lee allegedly doctored checks to increase his pay. Lee previously addressed the 2013 incident, telling Utah News Dispatch that it was something he did as a "stupid college kid" and that he had since paid his debt and started a family.
Next Steps for District 16
House Speaker Mike Schultz issued a statement accepting Lee's resignation. Because Lee had already lost his reelection bid during the June primaries, he was not scheduled to return to the Legislature next year.
The Davis County Republican Party will hold a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of Lee's term through the end of the year. As of Monday evening, no initial court appearance had been scheduled for Lee.
Current Status of Representative
Lee's resignation is effective immediately. He did not respond to requests for comment regarding the criminal charges on Monday, though delivery indicators showed he had received the inquiry.
