06/08/2026
🚨 LAWSUIT OVER CLOSED-DOOR MEETING ERUPTS INTO HEATED SHOWDOWN; COMMISSIONER STRIPPED OF LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS 🚨
Iron County Commission chambers erupted into a heated confrontation this morning as county officials accused one another of intimidation, retaliation, dishonesty, coercion, and misconduct before voting to strip Commissioner Paul Cozzens of several county liaison assignments.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit Commissioner Paul Cozzens filed against Iron County on June 1st over what he alleges was an improperly closed meeting held on May 26th. In the petition, Cozzens alleges the meeting included “matters of public business, departmental administration, matters involving elected county officials, matters outside the direct authority of the Commission, unsupported factual assertions, and commentary not reasonably necessary to a lawful personnel discussion.”
Cozzens lawsuit is asking a judge to review the recording and determine whether portions of the meeting were improperly withheld from the public.
Addressing the Commission this morning, Cozzens stated:
“I heard allegations presented as fact that were later shown to be false. If released, that will become evident.”
He also told commissioners:
“I became deeply concerned that portions of the discussion exceeded the narrow scope authorized for a personnel closed session under Utah law.”
According to both the lawsuit and Cozzens’ remarks, he learned the closed session was taking place while watching the Commission meeting remotely from an airplane while traveling home from visiting his son in Boston.
After the session had been underway for approximately 30 minutes, Cozzens called into the meeting from the aircraft. He alleges that once he learned the nature of the meeting and discovered the elected department head responsible for supervising the employee being discussed was not present, he objected because he believed both the subject matter and the manner in which the meeting was being conducted were inappropriate. Despite Cozzens objection the discussion continued.
After Cozzens remarks, the atmosphere in county commission shifted dramatically when County Clerk Jon Whittaker took the podium.
In a blistering response, Whittaker accused Cozzens of creating a pattern of conflict within county government, stating:
“Unfortunately, Commissioner Cousins has made a living out of being mad.”
He continued:
“The net effect is that we are always trying to prevent Paul from being mad, dealing with him being mad, or trying to manage his latest blow-up. In a word, eggshells.”
As Whittaker continued reading from prepared remarks and alleged Cozzens had previously “forced his way into the jail” and threatened employees in an incident involving his son, Cozzens abruptly interrupted.
“What the f**k are you talking about, John” Cozzens replied.
Then the room fell into open confrontation.
“I forced my way into the jail? I walked in the front door, and I rang the bell” he stated.
Moments later, the two men were talking over one another as years of apparent frustration spilled into public view.
The clash culminated with Commissioner Mike Bleak moving to remove Cozzens as the Commission liaison to the Iron County Assessor’s Office and Iron County Treasurer’s Office, later characterizing the action as “an administrative action” rather than a typical county motion.
The action passed after Commissioner Ken Robinson seconded the motion.
Cozzens retained his remaining liaison assignments.
The vote did not end the dispute in chambers.
Before the meeting adjourned, Commissioners Cozzens and Bleak exchanged one final round of accusations. Cozzens revisited a years-old dispute involving allegations that Bleak was falsely telling people he was under investigation for stealing materials from the Cedar City Temple Open House project, claims he said were false and for which he never received an apology for. Cozzens stated the allegations were so damaging that his wife “cried for two days” and begged him to leave politics. He argued the incident was relevant because he believes false statements were similarly made during the May 26th closed session and at the beginning of his career as County Commissioner.
Bleak disputed Cozzens’ account, stating the two had discussed the matter years earlier. He later declined to comment on the pending lawsuit, saying it would be inappropriate to discuss ongoing litigation.
Following the Commission meeting, several county officials — including Iron County Treasurer Nicole Rosenberg, County Clerk Jon Whittaker, Parowan Police Chief Addison Adams, County HR Director Jennifer Bradbury, Iron County Emergency Management Director George Colson, and Commissioner Mike Bleak — were observed leaving the County Offices and walking together to a local restaurant for lunch. Several of those individuals were either present for or directly involved in the closed session at the center of Cozzens’ lawsuit.
The gathering raises additional questions that may become relevant as the lawsuit proceeds.
Under Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act, discussions involving a quorum of a public body can trigger open meeting requirements if public business is discussed. At this time, TZT has no evidence that any unlawful discussion occurred during the lunch gathering, and county officials declined to comment when asked whether the Commission meeting, closed session, or events of the morning had been discussed.
WHAT THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES:
According to the Verified Petition filed in 5th District Court, Cozzens alleges the May 26th closed session went beyond the narrow exceptions allowed under Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA). Specifically, that the discussion included matters of public business, departmental administration, matters involving elected county officials, unsupported factual assertions, and commentary not reasonably necessary to a lawful personnel closed meeting.
Cozzens’ lawsuit is requesting the court to review the recording of the closed session and determine whether portions of the discussion were improperly closed and should be made available to the public.
