Multiple sources have told UtahPolicy.com that Attorney General Sean Reyes could be appointed by the Trump administration to head up the Federal Trade Commission sometime in the next two weeks.
Sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the vetting of Reyes for the position has stepped up in recent days, leading many to believe his appointment could be imminent.
Reyes could not be reached for comment.
Alan Crooks, who is handling the press inquiries about Reyes and the FTC told UtahPolicy.com “As of right now, (Sean) Reyes has not been contacted by anyone with the Trump administration about the FTC position.” However, Crooks would not answer questions about whether Reyes had been contacted by anyone tied to Trump from outside the administration.
Reyes’ selection would help the Trump administration address a glaring lack of diversity. Trump is the first president since Jimmy Carter to have no Hispanic members of his cabinet. Reyes’ background, his father was an immigrant from the Philippines of Filipino and Spanish descent while his mother was of Native Hawaiian and Japanese heritage, would help allay critics.
Reyes, 45, is also seen as a rising star in the GOP.
If Reyes is tapped by the Trump administration, his replacement would be picked from one of three candidates put forward by the Republican State Central Committee. Gov. Gary Herbert would then select the new AG from those three names.
Sources tell UtahPolicy.com that two prominent Republicans are already angling to succeed Reyes if he heads to Washington – Former Utah State Senator Dan Liljenquist and World Trade Center President and CEO Derek Miller.
Whoever replaces Reyes, if he leaves, would have to run in the 2018 general election to fill the remaining two years of his term.
It was reported in January that Reyes was under consideration for the position, which would oversee mergers and big technology companies privacy and anti-trust practices.
Reyes became Attorney General in 2013 after John Swallow resigned. Reyes was one of three names forwarded to Gov. Gary Herbert who selected him over
