SALT LAKE CITY — The public wants access to Reyes' schedule because of longstanding questions about how much time he spends doing his job and how much time he spends in Utah.
After hearing testimony from both sides, the Utah State Records Committee ruled the official calendars of public officials are, in fact, public records. The Utah AG's Office is appealing the decision.
Reyes has reportedly traveled to foreign countries to participate in "missions" to "save children" with the nonprofit Operation Underground Railroad. He has repeatedly referred to OUR's founder and ex-CEO, Tim Ballard, as a "good friend" and "patriot" until recently distancing himself and announcing he would not seek reelection.
Ballard now faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Additionally, both Reyes and Ballard were subjects of a criminal fraud investigation because of their ties to OUR. The investigation was at least partially concluded without the filing of criminal charges.
Governor Spencer Cox addressed questions about Reyes's calendar at a press conference on Wednesday morning. The governor declined to say much about the case, but he explained why his calendar is published on a weekly basis.
"Obviously there's a lawsuit happening that will play out," Cox said. "For us, we thought it was important to let the public know what we're doing, and so I do that. The lieutenant governor does that as well. That's always been the tradition in our office. I think it's a positive thing. I knew when I ran for office, I'm no longer a private citizen. The public owns a piece of me, and that's -- it's not always fun. You lose a level of privacy, but that's kind of the deal, and so, again, I'll let them fight that out, but for us, we felt it was important and will continue to do that."
WATCH: Utah AG Sean Reyes won’t run for reelection, orders criminal probe into Ballard and OUR
In 2022, Reyes declined an interview with FOX 13 News after traveling to Qatar to watch the World Cup. The ticket, airfare, and lodging were all paid for by the Qatari government.
"I wouldn't have done it," said former Utah Attorney General Paul Van Dam, who held the position from 1989 to 1993. "If you're going to go to some exotic place, and they're going to pay for it, you better be prepared to be criticized... You certainly don’t want to be viewed as somebody who’s doing your job because you’re being rewarded outside of your pay."
WATCH: Qatari government paid for Utah Attorney General trip to World Cup
The Salt Lake Tribune reports Reyes has used campaign money to go on at least 30 trips to high-end resorts across the country, in Mexico, and in Europe -- including a trip to Texas where he shot feral hogs with high-powered rifles from a helicopter.
According to a civil lawsuit, Reyes spends a significant amount of time at an "unofficial" office downtown, a members-only barbershop called Mac's Place where Reyes holds backdoor meetings while "sitting on a leather chair that Kanye West allegedly purchased for General Reyes, much like a mob boss runs his organization in a movie."
FOX 13 News reached out to Kanye's team but has not heard back.
FULL DOCS: Lawsuit accuses Utah AG Sean Reyes of using his office to silence OUR critics
Reyes spoke on a panel with Senator Mike Lee as part of the Utah Republican Latino Coalition on October 28, 2022.
A photo from an audience member shows him wearing shorts and a bandana.
"(He was) claiming he just (got) off an airplane and came straight to this event - he apologized for his attire saying he was rescuing children and didn't have time to change," the audience member said. "I thought it was odd - of course you had time to change clothes... was he just playing all of us?"
Alan Crooks, the general consultant for Reyes, has not responded to questions about Reyes' activities on October 27, 2022 or October 28, 2022.
Another member of the public who has attended Reyes' speaking engagements shared similar experiences.
"I have been to two events in the past (six) years and both of them Sean (Reyes) showed up saying he just got off a plane from rescuing children," they said. "One of them he apologized for not shaving and having scruff saying he had just come straight from the airport... He definitely did not have a bandana on though, maybe he upped his game as time went on."