CEDAR CITY, Utah — An HR memo reveals an Iron County Commissioner allegedly went to jail and tried to get special influence for his son. Was it about a father's love or overstepping his power?
"It's been kind of a hard process because I'm a commissioner and having a son incarcerated, I don't know all the rules," said county commissioner Paul Cozzens as he tried to explain what had occurred.
Cozzens has been on the Iron County Commission since being elected in 2018 after nine years on the Cedar City Council. Last month, his son, Blake Cozzens, was arrested and accused of embezzling $2 million from a homeowners association and its residents.
A memo sent from Iron County’s human relations department showed how a day after his son’s arrest, Paul Cozzens went to the jail and “asserted his authority, stating that he was the commissioner responsible for building them the new jail.” The memo said, “Some employees feared for their job security due to perceived pressure.”
While reading from a statement during a commission meeting in Parowan on Monday, Paul Cozzens claimed he was trying to bring distilled water for his son’s sleep apnea machine.
"I don't even remember what I said. I haven't read what I said. But she said they can't accept stuff from the public. And now that I understand why, I get it," Cozzens read.
Cedar City property manager arrested after allegedly embezzling over $1.9 million:
Iron County resident Jesse Harris runs a local website focused on Cozzens and is not convinced.
"So the Real Paul Cousins is pretty famously known around here as a bully," Harris claimed. "He has threatened many people with their jobs, their businesses. The stories are just numerous. I’ve found very few people who are willing to go on the record about it because they're worried about further retaliation."
When Cozzens was first elected to the county commission, he refused to step down as a city councilman. The state passed legislation a year later banning a person from serving both at the same time.
Cozzens believes his political opponents are taking advantage of an emotional situation involving his son.
"It's probably been the hardest thing we've ever dealt with," said in his statement. "Our son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and mental disorders are a real thing. I know I didn't handle the situation well that night."
Iron County says while workplace rules were broken, no law was, and it is reinforcing policies at the jail that set boundaries and protocols for handling special requests from public officials.
When asked by FOX 13 News whether he had anything to add after reading his statement, Cozzens said, "No, I think I covered it."
