John E. Swallow was elected as Utah Attorney General in November 2012, with
65 percent of the statewide vote. He plans to focus on protecting
children from abuse and sex trafficking, stopping financial fraud and
preserving states’ rights. Swallow had been serving as Chief Deputy
Attorney General since December 2009, and was overseeing the civil
divisions and all litigation involving the state of Utah. Under his
leadership, the A.G.’s Office filed a lawsuit with 26 states over
healthcare reform and instigated litigation over the federal Wild Lands
policy. He helped double the size of the public lands litigation team
and hired an attorney to research constitutional issues related to
federalism and states’ rights.
Swallow graduated with both a BS and law degree from Brigham Young University
and was a member of the Brigham Young University Law Review. He began
as an associate and later became a partner with the commercial
litigation firm Scalley & Reading. Swallow was also appointed as a
Judge Pro Tem for the Third District Court and served as Chairman of the
Business Section of the Utah State Bar.
Swallow was elected to the Utah House of Representatives for three terms from
1997 through 2002. He served on the committees for Revenue and
Taxation, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Standing, and
Administrative Rules Review and was the chairman of the Public Utilities
and Technology Standing Committee. He was also the Regional Whip for
the Majority Party.
While in the Utah House of Representatives, Swallow was named the Taxpayer
Advocate of the Year by the Utah Taxpayers Association for sponsoring
and passing legislation giving Utah one of the largest tax cuts in state
history. He sponsored a bill to expand Drug Courts statewide and was
honored by the Utah Association of Chiefs of Police for creating a task
force to help local police departments develop crime reduction plans.
Swallow was also recognized by the Utah Association of Realtors,
National Federation of Independent Business, the Utah Food Industry
Association and other industry groups for his service on behalf of the
business community.
In both 2002 and 2004, Swallow was the Republican Party nominee for Utah’s
Congressional District but narrowly lost to Congressman Jim Matheson in
both races. He is fluent in Spanish and helps coach youth sport
teams. Swallow is married to Suzanne Seader Swallow, and they are the parents
of five children.
