SALT LAKE CITY, UT--(Marketwire - Jun 8, 2012) - Utah Attorney General Candidate Sean Reyes today makes the following statements pertaining to his position on two recent news developments: the Consumer Protection Division debate and the ICE case involving a deportation reprieve.

Consumer Protection Division (CPD) debate

According to Reyes: "I oppose moving CPD into the Attorney General's office. There is a healthy check and balance between the two offices and the AG should find ways to support CPD, not control it. Most alarmingly, it would concentrate too much power in one agency and the potential for abuse would increase. It is important to ensure the highest degree of transparency in the AG's office. My opponent's desire to consolidate power would undermine the safeguards that exist in our current system to prevent corruption. His motives in wanting control over CPD seem to invite many questions about how that control might be exercised regardless of his open door policy."

ICE Deportation Reprieve Case

According to Reyes: "Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's decision to write a personal email to ICE Director John Morton was not an appropriate use of his authority. Regardless of how you feel about the fairness of the situation, it is the AG's role to enforce laws, not to ask other agencies to refrain from enforcement. This type of conduct and the CPD debate further politicize the office and erode the trust of the people, which is why I am running for office. Utah's next Attorney General must be a real attorney with integrity, someone who understands the importance of transparency."

ABOUT UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE SEAN D. REYES

Sean D. Reyes currently serves as General Counsel for eTAGZ and was formerly a partner at Utah's largest firm, where he spent 14 years handling large, complex litigation, trials and appeals. He was named the first-ever "National Outstanding Young Lawyer" in 2007 by the American Bar Association and has earned numerous state and national awards. For over a decade, Reyes has served as a small claims judge and has been appointed to both prestigious state and federal commissions. Reyes is a father of six and son of immigrant parents with Asian, Hawaiian, and Spanish heritage. To find out more, go to: www.seanreyes.com.