Utah State Legislature suspends editor’s media credential

Bob Bernick, a contributing editor at UtahPolicy.com, had his media credential suspended for a week by the Utah State Legislature in Salt Lake City on Feb. 11, 2020, the outlet reported.

UtahPolicy.com said it was told that the suspension was issued after Bernick entered a hallway and caucus room that had been made off-limits while then-U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was visiting the Legislature on Feb. 5.

According to the outlet, Bernick entered a hallway outside the House chamber in an attempt to question Romney. Jon Ammons, the House deputy chief of staff, told Bernick to leave the hallway because it was being closed for “security reasons.”

Bernick told Ammons that he had a right to be in the hallway, which was typically open to the press prior to House floor time. Bernick continued into the House majority caucus room to question Romney there.

A member of the Utah Highway Patrol then told Bernick he was not allowed to be in the area, and Bernick left.

In a Feb. 11 statement to UtahPolicy.com, Utah Senate Director of Communications Aundrea Peterson said Bernick’s credential was suspended for “entering a secure area of the Capitol without permission,” adding that the decision was “based upon a report from Utah Highway Patrol, eyewitness and video.”

The outlet reported that the decision was made “without any discussion or warning,” and that Bernick was not given a chance to review the complaint against him by the Highway Patrol officer. Bernick denied accessing a restricted area, UtahPolicy.com said.

UtahPolicy.com Publisher LaVarr Webb, who called Bernick “the dean” of Utah political reporters after having covered the Legislature for more than 40 years, said, “He was doing what reporters do — going after a story.”