Former Salt Lake City councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez is publicly demanding an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against her after four women accused the Democrat of making aggressive and unwanted sexual advances during separate encounters in Utah political circles.
Lopez Chavez broke her silence Thursday as scandal continues engulfing both her political career and Salt Lake City government.
“Allegations should be addressed through fair, transparent, and credible processes — not politics, rumors, or selective leaks,” Lopez Chavez said in a statement provided to The Salt Lake Tribune.
“I welcomed an independent investigation because there is no wrongdoing and was prepared to have the facts examined openly and fairly,” she added.
The controversy exploded publicly in April when four women accused Lopez Chavez of forceful and inappropriate conduct during separate social and political events that allegedly occurred before she joined the Salt Lake City Council in 2023.
Among the accusers is fellow council member Victoria Petro, who alleged Lopez Chavez cornered her during a wedding reception and pinned her against a pillar while making sexually charged remarks.
“The only reason I still f*** men is because a woman hasn’t shown me what I really want,” Petro alleged Lopez Chavez told her.
Petro later questioned whether the allegations would be treated differently if the accused were male.
“If a man had done that to me, would there be a question if it was assault or not?” she said.
Utah State Sen. Jen Plumb also accused Lopez Chavez of making an unwanted sexual advance during a birthday party in 2022.
“She leaned into me, grabbed onto my ass, got up in my face and said in my ear, ‘You’re sure you’re straight?’” Plumb alleged.
Former political aide Maggie Regier claimed Lopez Chavez grabbed them by the wrist during a Human Rights Campaign fundraiser before allegedly pinning them against a hallway wall until another person intervened.
Meanwhile, Utah State Rep. Hoang Nguyen alleged Lopez Chavez climbed on top of her inside a car after a campaign event and refused to move until she kissed her.
“I said, ‘What are you doing?’” Nguyen recalled. “And she said, ‘Kiss me. I’m not going to get off you until you kiss me.’”
Lopez Chavez has denied all allegations through attorney Greg Skordas, who claimed the former councilwoman possesses communications inconsistent with the accusations.
The sexual misconduct scandal is only one of two major controversies now surrounding Lopez Chavez.
Earlier this month, Salt Lake City Recorder Keith Reynolds ruled Lopez Chavez had failed to maintain residency inside the district she represented, automatically vacating her council seat under Utah law.
According to the findings, Lopez Chavez had allegedly not maintained a principal residence in District 4 since at least December 2025.
The residency scandal triggered her immediate removal from office and launched a scramble to fill the vacant seat.
Adding even more controversy, the Salt Lake City Council later voted unanimously to abandon plans for an independent investigation into the misconduct allegations after Lopez Chavez lost office, per the Daily Mail.
Council chair Alejandro Puy defended the move by arguing the council no longer had jurisdiction because Lopez Chavez is now a private citizen.
Lopez Chavez blasted that decision and accused city leaders of political motivations.
“Investigating and concluding such serious assertions is necessary to keep the integrity of City Hall,” she said.
Despite the growing scandals, Lopez Chavez signaled she has no intention of leaving public life quietly.
“I will continue to serve this community with determination, humility, and purpose,” she declared.
