The Salt Lake City Council has unanimously voted to suspend councilmember Eva Lopez Chavez from certain duties due to sexual misconduct allegations.
Last month, the Salt Lake Tribune reported on four separate accusations of inappropriate behavior before Lopez Chavez joined the city council in 2023.
Three of those were from women in elected roles — State Rep. Hoang Nguyen, State Sen. Jen Plumb, and Salt Lake City Councilmember Victoria Petro.
Lopez Chavez denied the accusations and welcomed a “fair and independent investigation."
Now, the Salt Lake City Council has voted to do just that in a unanimous decision, including by Lopez Chavez herself. Petro was the one abstaining vote.
The investigation will be led by three councilmembers alongside an outside independent investigator and is expected to conclude before the end of July, though that timeline could change.
The council also voted to strip Lopez Chavez of certain duties during the investigation, including conducting formal meetings, speaking on behalf of the city council, or using city resources to communicate about the investigation while it’s underway.
That vote was also unanimous, save for abstentions from Petro and Lopez Chavez.
If the investigation finds that Lopez Chavez violated the council’s code of conduct, she can be stripped of official city duties and privileges, and the council can request that she resign.
