Topline: Former Utah State University President Elizabeth Cantwell has not been able to wash herself clean of the controversy surrounding her spending — especially not with the $750 bidet she bought with taxpayer funds.
The university will undergo a full audit after a preliminary review by the Legislative Auditor General found “concerning” purchases and “several risks” with the school’s oversight rules.
The investigation began after the Salt Lake Tribune exposed $661,800 in questionable expenses from Cantwell’s office, including new cars and travel around the country.
Key facts: The Tribune reviewed over 500 pages in expense reports from Cantwell’s short, 18-month tenure as president. The spending included $43,000 for a Toyota SUV and an unknown amount for a Chevrolet SUV, both for Cantwell. Another $28,000 paid for an air-conditioned golf cart that shuttled Cantwell across campus. The campus police officer serving as her driver got a new $300 suit.
The vehicles used another $5,300 in gas. And for some reason, Cantwell needed to rent yet another car in October 2023 for $1,200.
Cantwell also spent almost $80,000 on 48 trips across Utah and the U.S. The bill included tickets for a Utah Jazz basketball game and a $11,400 trip to a seminar at Harvard University.
Cantwell spent 141 days traveling, according to the Tribune. That’s 23% of the time she was in office.
She saved her largest purchase for last. The Tribune found that on Jan. 31 of this year, Cantwell authorized a $245,900 renovation of her office. Six days later, she announced she was stepping down in March to become president of Washington State University.
The renovation included a $750 bidet from Amazon, a $3,000 “executive chair” and a $430 mirror.
Search all federal, state and local salaries and vendor spending with the world’s largest government spending database at OpenTheBooks.com.
Background: Open the Books’ database shows Cantwell earned over $567,000 in 2024. She took home another $233,000 in benefits, according to the Tribune.
Before her spending spree began, Utah State had already been ordered by the state legislature to reduce its spending by $12.6 million.
Summary: The pending state audit will paint a clearer picture of Cantwell’s spending, but it is a poor replacement for stronger oversight rules that could have prevented the purchases before they began.
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