SALT LAKE CITY — Former Republican Utah Attorney General candidate Frank Mylar has struck a unique plea deal in the election bribery case against him.
During an appearance Friday in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court, Mylar pleaded guilty to a single charge of attempted bribery in elections, a class A misdemeanor. That was dropped down from the original third-degree felony he faced. It is a plea-in-abeyance, meaning if Mylar complies with the terms of the deal and has no further violations of the law then it will be dismissed entirely.
"Are you pleading guilty because you’re guilty of it?" Judge James Blanch asked Mylar.
"Yes," Mylar replied.
"Then as to count one as amended, attempted bribery in elections, a class A misdemeanor, how do you plead?"
"Guilty."
"I accept your plea."
The plea-in-abeyance avoids the potential for jail time and fines, but Mylar's deal has some unique strings attached. He is not allowed to run for public office for the duration of the plea deal. As an attorney, he is also required to accept two pro bono cases.
In the 2024 election cycle, Mylar emerged as one of the Republican delegates' picks for Utah Attorney General in the state party convention before ultimately losing the GOP primary to now-attorney general Derek Brown.
Mylar was accused of bribing fellow candidate Trent Christensen by offering him a job in the Utah Attorney General's Office (should Mylar win) in exchange for dropping out of the race and endorsing Mylar. At the time, Mylar insisted that the text message to Christensen was a "mistake" and he withdrew it.
