View source for Jason Chaffetz

{{Short description|American politician (born 1967)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Jason Chaffetz
| image               = Jason Chaffetz Headshot 114th Congress.png
| caption             = Official portrait, 2016
| office              = Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]]
| term_start          = January 3, 2015
| term_end            = June 13, 2017
| predecessor         = [[Darrell Issa]]
| successor           = [[Trey Gowdy]]
| state1              = [[Utah]]
| district1           = {{ushr|UT|3|3rd}}
| term_start1         = January 3, 2009
| term_end1           = June 30, 2017
| predecessor1        = [[Chris Cannon]]
| successor1          = [[John Curtis]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1967|3|26}}
| birth_place         = [[Los Gatos, California]], U.S.
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (before 1990)<br>[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (1990–present)
| spouse              = {{marriage|Julie Johnson|1991}}
| children            = 3
| relatives           = [[John Dukakis]] (half-brother)
| education           = [[Brigham Young University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| signature           = Chaffetzblue.png
| module              = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=Rep. Jason Chaffetz Speaks in Support of the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2016.ogg |title=Chaffetz's voice |type=speech |description=Chaffetz supporting the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2016.<br>Recorded July 27, 2015}}
}}
'''Jason Edwin Chaffetz'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|eɪ|f|ᵻ|t|s}}}} (born March 26, 1967) is an American retired politician who served as the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] for {{ushr|UT|3}} from 2009 until his resignation in 2017. He chaired the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]] from 2015 until 2017.

Chaffetz came to prominence in 2015 for his extensive investigations into [[Hillary Clinton]]. He rescinded his endorsement of [[Donald Trump]] in early October 2016 but expressed his intent to vote for him three weeks later. Having investigated Clinton and the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] extensively, Chaffetz drew criticism after the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 election]] for declining to investigate potential [[conflicts of interest]] relating to President [[Donald Trump]], and that of [[Links between Trump associates and Russian officials|other individuals]] involved in his [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|2016 presidential campaign]] and subsequent presidential [[First presidency of Donald Trump|administration]].

He resigned from office in 2017, six months into his fifth Congressional term, and has since been a commentator, [[Fox News]] contributor, and author. In 2021 Chaffetz joined the [[Government Accountability Institute]].

==Early life and education==
Chaffetz was born in [[Los Gatos, California]], and raised in [[California]],<ref name="dailyherald_061408"/> [[Arizona]], and [[Colorado]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bernick Jr. |first1=Bob |title=Chaffetz confident in his abilities, hard work |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700236873/Chaffetz-confident-in-his-abilities-hard-work.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118050257/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700236873/Chaffetz-confident-in-his-abilities-hard-work.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |work=[[Deseret News]] |access-date=January 17, 2017 |date=June 22, 2008}}</ref> His father, John A. Chaffetz (1935–2012),<ref>{{cite news |title=New York Times looks at Mormons and race |url=http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/blogsoutofcontext/54176769-64/trib-romney-obama-rep.html.csp |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=January 17, 2017 |date=May 24, 2012}}</ref> was a businessman,<ref name="NYT2015">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/us/politics/for-jason-chaffetz-quixotic-house-speaker-bid-is-in-character.html |title=For Jason Chaffetz, Quixotic House Speaker Bid Is in Character |work=The New York Times |date=October 6, 2015 |access-date=January 14, 2017 |author=Steinhauer, Jennifer}}</ref> and his mother, Margaret "Peggy"<ref>{{cite news |last1=Burr |first1=Thomas |title=Jason Chaffetz: BYU kicker to political novice to GOP star to — House speaker? |url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/3021864-155/jason-chaffetz-byu-kicker-to-political |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=January 17, 2017 |date=October 3, 2015}}</ref> A. Wood (1942–1995),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/chaffetzjas/jason-chaffetz |title=Family tree of Jason CHAFFETZ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6LM-Z2W |title=FamilySearch |website=[[FamilySearch]]}}</ref> was a [[Christian Science|Christian Scientist]] who later became a member of the [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] and ran a photography business.<ref name="NYT2015" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Dickey |first1=Jack |title=The Republicans' White House Watchdog |url=https://time.com/3678069/the-republicans-white-house-watchdog/ |magazine=Time |access-date=January 17, 2017 |date=January 22, 2015}}</ref> In the late 1970s, his father became involved with the ownership group of the [[Los Angeles Aztecs]], a professional soccer team.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Recknor |first1=Bill |title=Here Comes Soccer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R10EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16 |publisher=Orange Coast Magazine |access-date=January 17, 2017 |pages=16–19 |date=September 1977}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Peterson|first1=Eric|title=Chaffetz Revealed|url=http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/chaffetz-revealed/Content?oid=2156652|work=[[Salt Lake City Weekly]]|access-date=January 17, 2017|date=June 29, 2011}}</ref> His father later wrote ''Gay Reality: The Team Guido Story'', a book about a gay couple who competed on ''[[The Amazing Race (American TV series)|The Amazing Race]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ring|first1=Trudy|title=Chaffetz Own Guy Despite Pro-Gay Ties|url=http://www.advocate.com/news/daily-news/2009/12/22/chaffetz-own-guy-despite-pro-gay-ties|publisher=The Advocate|access-date=January 17, 2017|date=December 22, 2009}}</ref> His younger brother, Alex, runs a Colorado-based media consulting firm.<ref>{{cite news |title=Congressman Jason Chaffetz, family differ on gay marriage |first=Lee|last=Davidson|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705353303/Chaffetz-family-differ-on-gay-marriage.html?pg=1 |work=[[Deseret News]] |date=December 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608131649/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705353303/Chaffetz-family-differ-on-gay-marriage.html?pg=1 |archive-date=June 8, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Meet Jason Chaffetz's brother Alex |url=https://video.foxnews.com/v/5824798839001#sp=show-clips |website=[[Fox & Friends]] |publisher=[[Fox News]] |language=en |date=August 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Canham |first1=Matt |title=Rep. Jason Chaffetz hit with campaign-spending complaint by his Republican challenger |url=https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=3827114&itype=CMSID |work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |date=April 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ashby |first1=Charles |title=Boebert pays off UI liens, defends mileage reimbursement |url=https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/boebert-pays-off-ui-liens-defends-mileage-reimbursement/article_9a121c88-6c96-11eb-88d4-2ba1e98b4f4c.html |work=[[The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel]] |date=February 12, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Chaffetz's father was Jewish, and his paternal grandfather Maxwell (Max) Chaffetz (1909–1986), the son of immigrants from Russia, was an [[FBI Special Agent]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/not-just-news/grapevine-a-british-diplomat-in-mea-shearim-460452 |title=Grapevine: A British diplomat in Mea She'arim |last=Cashman |first=Greer Fay |date=July 14, 2016 |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref><ref name=FOIA>{{Cite web|url=http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/fbifiles/gangsterera/067E-HQ-10565.pdf|title=Maxwell Chaffetz Declassified FBI File|date=2016|publisher=The Black Vault |access-date=June 21, 2016}}</ref> Max Chaffetz was the brother of [[Hammond E. Chaffetz]], who pioneered [[federal antitrust prosecution]] policies later upheld by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in ''[[United States v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co.]]'', before building [[Kirkland & Ellis]] into one of the most powerful law firms in the United States, as well as the [[second cousin]] of Washington, D.C. [[Real Estate Developer|real estate developer]] and [[Philanthropy|philanthropist]] [[Morris Cafritz]].{{r|FOIA|pp=15, 59, 90,103}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Janega|first=James|date=January 16, 2001|title=Hammond Chaffetz, Attorney, Fundraiser|newspaper=[[The Chicago Tribune]]|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-01-16-0101160205-story.html|access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Johnston|first=David Cay|date=January 17, 2001|title=H. E. Chaffetz, 93, Lawyer On Antitrust and Price Fixing|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/17/us/h-e-chaffetz-93-lawyer-on-antitrust-and-price-fixing.html|access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Marjorie|date=February 25, 1990|title=CAFRITZ V. CAFRITZ|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1990/02/25/cafritz-v-cafritz/9f486a14-9672-4802-802e-0e470a9f1507/|access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref>

Chaffetz's father's first wife had been [[Kitty Dukakis|Kitty Dickson]], who later married [[Michael Dukakis]], future [[Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts Governor]] and [[1988 United States presidential election|1988 Democratic presidential nominee]].<ref name="NYT-7Jun2007">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/06/07/cq_2852.html|title=Immigration Issue Again Draws In-House Rivals to Utah Lawmaker|last=Teitelbaum|first=Michael|date=June 7, 2007|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Goldman|first1=Ari L.|title=In Dual-Faith Families Children Sturggle [sic] For a Spiritual Home|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/18/garden/in-dual-faith-families-children-sturggle-for-a-spiritual-home.html?pagewanted=1|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 17, 2017|date=August 18, 1988}}</ref> The marriage lasted four years<ref>{{cite web|title=Kitty Dukakis|url=http://www.biography.com/people/kitty-dukakis-262756|publisher=Biography|access-date=January 17, 2017|archive-date=January 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118051044/http://www.biography.com/people/kitty-dukakis-262756|url-status=dead}}</ref> producing one son, [[John Dukakis|John]], Chaffetz' half-brother.<ref>According to the State of California. ''California Birth Index, 1905–1995''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427102456/http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461 |date=April 27, 2011 }}</ref> Following Dickson's marriage to Dukakis, that son was adopted at age five by his stepfather, later deciding to change his surname to Dukakis when he was 18.  While in college, Chaffetz worked as a Utah co-chairman of Michael Dukakis's 1988 presidential campaign. It was reported in 2009 and again in 2015 that Chaffetz remained close to his half-brother and the Dukakis family.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_137/-35334-1.html|title=Chaffetz Found Red Out of the Blue|last=Kucinich|first=Jackie|date=June 1, 2009|work=Roll Call|access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bierman |first1=Noah |title=Conservative GOP leader has unexpected Democratic fan: Michael Dukakis |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-chaffetz-dukakis-20151005-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=14 May 2025 |date=6 October 2015}}</ref>

Chaffetz attended high school in California<ref name="dailyherald_061408">{{cite news|last1=Pyrah|first1=Joe|title=Jason Chaffetz: Newcomer not new to politics|url=http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/jason-chaffetz-newcomer-not-new-to-politics/article_661bd2ba-a341-5940-aa5c-f3d765ac6155.html|newspaper=[[Daily Herald (Utah)|Daily Herald]]|access-date=January 17, 2017|date=June 14, 2008|archive-date=March 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326024255/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/jason-chaffetz-newcomer-not-new-to-politics/article_661bd2ba-a341-5940-aa5c-f3d765ac6155.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> before graduating from Middle Park High School in [[Granby, Colorado|Granby]], [[Colorado]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coloradoindependent.com/45587/polis-cnn-foil-chaffetz-looks-to-kick-college-football-into-national-playoffs|title=Polis CNN foil Chaffetz looks to kick college football into national playoffs|work=ColoradoIndependent.com|author=David O. Williams|date= January 10, 2010|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref> He attended [[Brigham Young University]] on an athletic scholarship and was the starting [[placekicker]] for the school's [[BYU Cougars football|football team]] in [[1988 BYU Cougars football team|1988]] and [[1989 BYU Cougars football team|1989]].<ref name="byucougars"/> Over two seasons, Chaffetz converted 16 of 25 field goal attempts (64 percent) and 89 of 94 point-after attempts (95 percent).<ref name="byucougars">"[http://byucougars.com/athlete/m-football/jason-chaffetz Jason Chaffetz]". ''BYU Cougars''. Brigham Young University. Retrieved March 7, 2017.</ref> As of 2011, he still held the school's individual records for most [[extra point]]s attempted in a game, most extra points made in a game, and most consecutive extra points made in a game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://byucougars.com/node/80772?ajax=1 |title=BYU Football Records |publisher=[[BYU Cougars|BYU Athletics]] |access-date=November 18, 2011}}</ref> Chaffetz graduated from the [[BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications]] in 1989, with a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in communications.<ref>{{cite web|title=Baccalaureate Degrees|url=https://archive.org/stream/commencementexer1990brig#page/54/mode/2up/search/chaffetz|website=Spring Commencement Exercises|publisher=Brigham Young University|pages=54|date=April 26, 1990}}</ref>

Raised Jewish, Chaffetz joined [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] during his college years.<ref>{{cite web |first=J. J. |last=Goldberg |url=http://blogs.forward.com/jj-goldberg/123503/ |title=Meet Jewish Senators 14, 15 – and 16? Plus: the House GOP's Jewish Mormon |newspaper=[[The Forward|The Jewish Daily Forward]] |date=January 15, 2010 |access-date=November 18, 2011 |archive-date=September 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917070435/http://blogs.forward.com/jj-goldberg/123503/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Bierman, Noah (October 6, 2015). "[https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-chaffetz-dukakis-20151005-story.html Conservative GOP leader has unexpected Democratic fan: Michael Dukakis]". ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved February 14, 2017. "Later, Chaffetz, who was raised Jewish, would convert his religion and his politics, becoming a Mormon Republican."</ref> In 1989, he met his future wife Julie Johnson at a wedding in Arizona when he was a senior and Julie was a junior at Brigham Young University. They married in February 1991.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Chaffetz|first1=Jason|title=Commentary: Rep's wife says she keeps a sense of humor|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/15/chaffetz.congressional.spouse/index.html?iref=nextin|publisher=CNN|access-date=January 17, 2017|date=October 15, 2009}}</ref> After college, Chaffetz worked for about a decade in [[public relations]] for a [[multi-level marketing]] company, [[Nu Skin|Nu Skin International]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/2015/01/23/medias-best-friend|title=The Media's Best Friend|date=January 24, 2015|work=National Journal Magazine|last1=Cottle|first1=Michelle|access-date=February 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Nu Skin recruiting pitch lures sellers – and probers|last=Drell|first=Adrienne|date=April 30, 1991|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|page=16}}</ref>

== Early political career ==
Chaffetz became a Republican after meeting [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1990, when Reagan visited Chaffetz's employer, Nu Skin, as a motivational speaker. However, his political views had been drifting more to the right even while working for Dukakis.<ref>{{cite web|first=Kate |last=McNeil |url=http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/285061/1/ |title=3D: Chaffetz profile |newspaper=[[Daily Herald (Utah)|Herald Extra]] |date=October 18, 2008 |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121131154/http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/285061/1/ |archive-date=January 21, 2009 }}</ref> In 2003, Chaffetz applied to be an agent in the [[United States Secret Service]] but was not accepted because "better qualified applicants existed". In 2015, the Secret Service Inspector General found that agents illegally accessed Chaffetz's personnel file that included that information after Chaffetz began heading investigations into the Secret Service.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael S.|title=Senior Secret Service Official Proposed Embarrassing a Critic in Congress|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/us/politics/senior-secret-service-official-proposed-embarrassing-a-critic-in-congress-jason-chaffetz.html |access-date=October 1, 2015|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 30, 2015}}</ref>{{sfn|Leonnig|2021|pp=425–428}}

In 2004, Chaffetz was the campaign manager for Utah gubernatorial candidate [[Jon Huntsman, Jr.|Jon Huntsman]]. Huntsman won the race, and when he took office in January 2005, Chaffetz became Huntsman's chief of staff.<ref>{{cite web |first=Dan |last=Harrie |url=http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=15892 |title=Huntsman ties his success as gov to Utah economy |publisher=Stateline: Pew Center on the States |date=January 4, 2005 |access-date=November 18, 2011 |archive-date=January 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105043229/http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=15892 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2005, Chaffetz started Maxtera Utah Inc., a corporate communications and marketing company.<ref>{{cite news|title=17 Mormons in Congress in 2013|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1108/0/17-Mormons-in-Congress-in-2013.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116041814/http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1108/0/17-Mormons-in-Congress-in-2013.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 16, 2012|newspaper=Deseret News|access-date=January 17, 2017|date=November 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Struglinski|first1=Suzanne|title=Chaffetz's net worth up to $5.6M|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700238013/Chaffetzs-net-worth-up-to-56M.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109092357/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700238013/Chaffetzs-net-worth-up-to-56M.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 9, 2010|newspaper=Deseret News|access-date=January 17, 2017}}</ref> In 2006, Chaffetz was appointed by Huntsman as a trustee for [[Utah Valley University|Utah Valley State College]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hollingshead|first1=Todd|title=Chaffetz takes spot on UVSC trustee board|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=3882592&itype=NGPSID|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|access-date=May 18, 2015|date=May 31, 2006}}</ref> Chaffetz has also served as a member of the Highland City planning commission and as chairman for the Utah National Guard adjutant general review.

==U.S. House of Representatives==
[[File:Jason Chaffetz, official portrait, 111th Congress.jpg|thumb|Chaffetz During the 111th Congress]]
===Elections===
====2008====
{{Main|2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Utah#District 3}}

On January 1, 2007, before the 110th Congress was sworn in, Jason Chaffetz announced that he was "testing the waters" for a Congressional run against six-term incumbent [[Chris Cannon]], for the Republican nomination in the 3rd District.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=4934937&itype=NGPSID|title=Ex-Huntsman staffer may battle Cannon|first=Jennifer W.|last=Sanchez|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=January 2, 2007|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldextra.com/news/governor-s-ex-chief-of-staff-considers-run-for-rd/article_d03a0bb2-1a27-5511-bec6-f91e3cc84927.html|title=Governor's ex-chief of staff considers run for 3rd District|first=Alan|last=Choate|newspaper=Daily Herald|date=January 1, 2007|access-date=May 8, 2015|archive-date=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831184850/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/governor-s-ex-chief-of-staff-considers-run-for-rd/article_d03a0bb2-1a27-5511-bec6-f91e3cc84927.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nine months later, on October 1, 2007, Chaffetz formally entered the race for the Republican nomination. That same day, David Leavitt issued a press release announcing his campaign had raised $100,000 to challenge Cannon.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/printfriendly.php?id=7053373&itype=NGPSID|title=Two Republicans challenge Congressman Chris Cannon|first1=Dan|last1=Robert|first2=Robert|last2=Gehrke|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=October 1, 2007|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> Leavitt, brother to popular three-term Utah governor and Bush Administration cabinet member [[Mike Leavitt]], more than doubled Chaffetz in fundraising for that quarter.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/695220726/Money-no-problem-for-GOPs-Leavitt.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121141209/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/695220726/Money-no-problem-for-GOPs-Leavitt.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 21, 2013|title=Money no problem for GOP's Leavitt|first=Bob|last=Bernick, Jr.|newspaper=Deseret News |date=October 22, 2007|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> A March 2008 ''Deseret News''/KSL TV poll by Dan Jones & Associates released two days before the party caucuses showed Chaffetz with 4% support.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695263930/Cannon-facing-a-tough-contest.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121101241/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695263930/Cannon-facing-a-tough-contest.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 21, 2013|title=Cannon facing a tough contest|first=Suzanne|last=Struglinski|newspaper=Deseret News |date=March 23, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>

After the nearly 1200 3rd District delegates to the state Republican convention were elected on March 25, 2008, Chaffetz sent a mailer announcing that he would run a different kind of campaign. He would have no paid staff, no campaign office, no free meals for delegates, no campaign debt and no polling. He committed to spend between $70 and $80 per delegate, telling voters, "How you run your campaign is indicative of how you're going to be in office."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=8667378&itype=NGPSID|title=Utah caucuses:delegates are a force to reckon with|first=Cathy|last=McKitrick|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=March 23, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695275337/Cannon-fails-to-file-reports-on-finances.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021173924/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695275337/Cannon-fails-to-file-reports-on-finances.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2013|title=Cannon fails to file reports on finances|first=Catherine|last=Smith|newspaper=Deseret News |date=May 1, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>

Although Cannon was one of the most conservative members of the House, Chaffetz ran to his right. He said that Cannon "has failed us for not instituting conservative principles", consistently calling for a return to the core conservative principles of fiscal discipline, [[limited government]], accountability and a strong national defense. He campaigned on stronger measures to fix legal immigration and remove the incentives for [[illegal immigration]], an issue he continued to press throughout the campaign.<ref name="NYT-7Jun2007"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Cannon tough on Immigration? |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |date=June 17, 2008 |last1=Davidson |first1=Lee |last2=Bulkeley |first2=Deborah |page=B1}}</ref> The week before the convention, David Leavitt told ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', "if Jason Chaffetz beats me [at the convention], Chris Cannon will be the congressman. Jason Chaffetz has no resources, no organization."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=9200982&itype=NGPSID|title=Cannon facing a challenge|first=Robert|last=Gehrke|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=May 9, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>

At the May 10, 2008, state convention, Chaffetz won 59% of the 3rd District's delegates to Cannon's 41%. He came a few hundred votes short of ending Cannon's career; had he tallied 60% of the delegates, he would have won the nomination without a primary.<ref>{{cite news |first=Frank |last=Pignanelli |title=Chaffetz has a shot at defeating Cannon |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |date=May 18, 2008 |page=G1}}</ref> Leavitt finished a distant third, and immediately endorsed Cannon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9221901|title=Republicans: Chaffetz nearly upsets Cannon – Salt Lake Tribune<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513034438/http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9221901|archive-date=May 13, 2008}}</ref> Primary polls had shown a close race: a May 2008 poll showed Cannon leading Chaffetz 39% to 37% among likely voters,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700227979/Race-tight-between-Chaffetz-and-Cannon.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021173935/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700227979/Race-tight-between-Chaffetz-and-Cannon.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2013|title=Race tight between Chaffetz and Cannon|first=Bob|last=Bernick, Jr.|newspaper=Deseret News |date=May 22, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> and June 2008 poll showed likely voters favoring Cannon by 44% to 40%.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.deseret.com/2008/6/21/20259533/cannon-chaffetz-in-a-tie/ |title=Cannon, Chaffetz in a tie|first=Bob|last=Bernick, Jr.|newspaper=Deseret News |date=June 21, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> On June 24, 2008, Chaffetz defeated Cannon by a vote of 60% to 40%.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tad |last=Walch |url=http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700237809,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626012232/http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700237809,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 26, 2008 |title=Chaffetz wins big – He turns Cannon into a lame duck |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |date=June 25, 2008 |access-date=November 18, 2011}}</ref> It was considered an upset victory as Cannon was endorsed by [[George W. Bush]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695276748,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724002216/http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695276748,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 24, 2008 |title=Bush sends letter endorsing Cannon |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |date=May 6, 2008 |access-date=November 18, 2011}}</ref> the state's two U.S. Senators [[Orrin Hatch]] and [[Bob Bennett (politician)|Bob Bennett]], and nearly all of the state Republican establishment. Cannon also outspent Chaffetz by 6 to 1.<ref>{{cite news|first=Joe |last=Pyrah |url=http://heraldextra.com/content/view/271526/999999/ |title=Chaffetz defeats Cannon |newspaper=[[Daily Herald (Utah)|Daily Herald]] |date=June 25, 2008 |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121131145/http://heraldextra.com/content/view/271526/999999/ |archive-date=January 21, 2009 }}</ref> Cannon's primary defeat spurred worry among Republican incumbents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=9697237&itype=NGPSID |title=Incumbent fear: Cannon loss sets off wave of worry |first1=Thomas |last1=Burr |first2=Robert |last2=Gehrke |date=June 26, 2008 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref>

Chaffetz faced Democrat [[Bennion Spencer]] in the 2008 general election, along with [[Jim Noorlander]] of the [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]]. Chaffetz's firm position against asking for earmarks created some controversy during the general election campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=9840877&itype=NGPSID|title=Earmark backlash could cost Utah millions |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=July 10, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> Chaffetz said, "Until there's reform, I will not ask for them. They're a cancer within the system and I want to extract them." Ultimately, Chaffetz won election with 66% of the vote. However, he had effectively clinched a seat in Congress when he won the Republican nomination. The 3rd is one of the most Republican districts in the nation; in 2008 it had a [[Cook Partisan Voting Index]] of R+26.

Chaffetz announced at the start of the congressional term, in 2009, that he would be sleeping on a cot in his office, rather than renting a [[Washington, D.C.]], apartment.<ref name="sleeping office">{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6587327&page=1|title=Freshman Congressman Sleeps on Cot|last=Karl|first=Jonathan|date=January 6, 2009|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref> Chaffetz said, "I'm trying to live the example that it doesn't take big dollars in order to get where we want to go. I can save my family $1,500 a month by sleeping on a cot in my office as opposed to getting a fancy place that's maybe a little bit more comfortable."<ref name="sleeping office" /> His family will continue to live in [[Alpine, Utah|Alpine]]. "We are now $10 trillion in debt. $10 trillion. Those are expenses that have to be paid at some point", he said. If he can tighten his belt in these tough economic times, Chaffetz said, Congress should be able to as well.<ref name="sleeping office" /> Chaffetz appeared on the "Better Know A District" segment of ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' on January 6, 2009, where he was defeated by [[Stephen Colbert]] in leg wrestling.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cc.com/video-clips/4zhwch/the-colbert-report-better-know-a-district---utah-s-3rd---jason-chaffetz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204021638/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/4zhwch/the-colbert-report-better-know-a-district---utah-s-3rd---jason-chaffetz|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 4, 2015|title=Better Know a District – Utah's 3rd – Jason Chaffetz|date=January 6, 2009|work=Colbert Nation|access-date=November 18, 2011}}</ref>

====2010====
{{Main|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Utah#District 3}}
Chaffetz won reelection to a second term, gaining 72% of the vote and defeating Democratic nominee Karen Hyer.<ref>{{cite web|author=Steve Fidel|title=Rep. Jason Chaffetz wins second term over Hyer|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700078366/Rep-Jason-Chaffetz-wins-second-term-over-Hyer.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212163938/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700078366/Rep-Jason-Chaffetz-wins-second-term-over-Hyer.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2017|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|date=November 2, 2010}}</ref> ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' endorsed him in the race, writing "U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, has delivered as advertised for Utah's 3rd District."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=11493184&itype=storyID|title=Jason Chaffetz: Congressman deserves second term|author=Editorial |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=October 18, 2010|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>

====2012====
{{Main|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Utah#District 3}}

In early 2012 Chaffetz worked as a representative of the [[Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012|Mitt Romney presidential campaign]] during [[Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012|primary season]], shadowing the campaign of rival Republican candidate [[Newt Gingrich]] to offer rebuttals to reporters following Gingrich speeches.<ref>Shawna Shepherd (January 27, 2012), [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/27/romney-surrogates-shadow-gingrich-campaign/ Romney surrogates shadow Gingrich campaign] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129082021/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/27/romney-surrogates-shadow-gingrich-campaign/ |date=January 29, 2012 }}, CNN.</ref><ref>Jane Musgrave (January 27, 2012), [http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/republican-jewish-coalition-turns-out-in-force-for-2130653.html Republican Jewish Coalition turns out in force for Gingrich in Delray], ''[[The Palm Beach Post]]''</ref> He refused to endorse Haitian-American candidate [[Mia Love]], who ran against incumbent 2nd District congressman Jim Matheson, for the newly created 4th District seat. Nationally, Love had received campaign support from [[Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012|2012 Republican presidential nominee]] [[Mitt Romney]], [[House Budget Committee]] Chairman and [[Paul Ryan#2012 vice presidential campaign|2012 Republican vice presidential nominee]] [[Paul Ryan]], Speaker of the House [[John Boehner]], and [[House Majority Leader]] [[Eric Cantor]].<ref>{{cite news |last= Canham |first= Matt |url= http://www.sltrib.com/53424815-90/chaffetz-love-campaign-wimmer.html |title= Chaffetz helps Love with Washington introductions, but says he won't endorse |newspaper= The Salt Lake Tribune |date= February 1, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141104233736/http://www.sltrib.com/53424815-90/chaffetz-love-campaign-wimmer.html |archive-date= November 4, 2014 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.sltrib.com/54609778-90/boehner-campaign-center-district.html |title= Love getting boost from national GOP stars |first= Robert |last= Gehrke |newspaper= [[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |date= August 1, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141104233843/http://www.sltrib.com/54609778-90/boehner-campaign-center-district.html |archive-date= November 4, 2014 |url-status= live }}</ref>

In his own 2012 election, Chaffetz won election to a third term, gaining 76% of the vote and defeating Democratic nominee [[Soren Simonsen]], an architect and chairman of the [[Salt Lake City Council]]. The campaign was a "low-key" race in which Chaffetz was heavily favored.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/utah-election-results-2012-hatch-wins-seventh-term-in-senate-rep-chaffetz-reelected-to-house/2012/11/06/9f00410c-23ac-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_story.html Utah election results 2012: Hatch wins seventh term in Senate; Rep. Chaffetz reelected to House], ''Washington Post'' (November 6, 2012).</ref><ref>Billy Hesterman, [http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/chaffetz-quietly-moving-toward-re-election/article_fb8c86d1-fbd3-593c-995e-155b98dabd29.html Chaffetz quietly moving toward re-election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024063208/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/chaffetz-quietly-moving-toward-re-election/article_fb8c86d1-fbd3-593c-995e-155b98dabd29.html |date=October 24, 2012 }}, ''Daily Herald'' (October 21, 2012).</ref>

====2014====
{{Main|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Utah#District 3}}

In the 2014 election, Chaffetz won election to a fourth term in a race in which he was again heavily favored.<ref name="KSTU2014">[http://fox13now.com/2014/11/04/the-race-for-utahs-3rd-congressional-district/ Jason Chaffetz wins race for Utah's 3rd Congressional District], KSTU (November 5, 2014).</ref><ref name="EvansWonnacott">Whittney Evans, [http://kuer.org/post/brian-wonnacott-struggles-his-effort-unseat-incumbent-jason-chaffetz#stream/0 Brian Wonnacott Struggles In His Effort to Unseat Incumbent Jason Chaffetz], KEUR (October 16, 2014).</ref> He received about 72% of the vote,<ref name="KSTU2014"/> defeating Democratic nominee, Brian Wonnacott.<ref name="EvansWonnacott"/>

====2016====
{{Main|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Utah#District 3}}

In the 2016 election, Chaffetz won a fifth term, defeating Democratic nominee Stephen Tryon, a former [[Overstock.com]] executive, with about 74% of the vote.<ref>Genelle Pugmire, [http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/voters-hand-jason-chaffetz-fifth-term-in-rd-congressional-district/article_c9747df8-51ed-58a6-9c34-3f27e56792bc.html Voters hand Jason Chaffetz fifth term in 3rd Congressional District race] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425070522/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/voters-hand-jason-chaffetz-fifth-term-in-rd-congressional-district/article_c9747df8-51ed-58a6-9c34-3f27e56792bc.html |date=April 25, 2017 }}, ''Daily Herald'' (November 8, 2016).</ref>

===Committee assignments===
* '''[[United States House Committee on the Judiciary|Committee on the Judiciary]]'''
** [[United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet|Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet]]
** [[United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security|Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security]]
* '''[[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]]''' (chairman)
** [[United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy|Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy]]
** [[United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations|Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations]] (chairman)
** [[United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform|Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform]]

===Caucus memberships===
* [[House Baltic Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=http://housebalticcaucus.webs.com/members|publisher=House Baltic Caucus|access-date=February 21, 2018}}</ref>
*[[Congressional Arts Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Membership|url=https://artscaucus-slaughter.house.gov/membership|publisher=Congressional Arts Caucus|access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140644/https://artscaucus-slaughter.house.gov/membership|archive-date=June 12, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Congressional Constitution Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|publisher=Congressional Constitution Caucus|access-date=May 8, 2018|archive-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614044928/https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Chairmanship, House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, 2014–2017===
In November 2014, Chaffetz won a four-way race to become the chairman of the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]]. He was only the fifth Member of Congress in 89 years to become a full chairman after just three terms.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-media-s-best-friend-20150123 |title=The media's best friend |first=Michelle|last=Cottle|newspaper=National Journal |date=January 24, 2015|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> He ran on a promise to emphasize reform, telling ''[[Politico]]'' that "the pitch I made to the steering committee is we really have to triangulate the problem if we're actually going to get to reform. In order to fix the problem long term, we can't just be the highlighter pen. We do a good job highlighting things, but we don't do a great job of fixing things."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/jason-chaffetz-house-oversight-113066_Page2.html#ixzz3ZYlpuBcK|title=Jason Chaffetz promises less personal oversight|first1=Lauren|last1=French|first2=John|last2=Bresnahan|newspaper=Politico |date=November 20, 2014|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>

=== Town hall protests in February 2017 ===
Chaffetz faced protests and jeering at a [[town hall meeting]] in February 2017. Attendees questioned Chaffetz about his political positions and whether he would hold President Trump to account.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865673092/Chaffetz-Raucous-reaction-at-town-hall-meeting-bullying-and-intimidation.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210220322/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865673092/Chaffetz-Raucous-reaction-at-town-hall-meeting-bullying-and-intimidation.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 10, 2017|title=Chaffetz says town hall crowd tried 'bullying and intimidation'|last=Roche|first=Lisa Riley|date=February 10, 2017|newspaper=Deseret News|access-date=February 11, 2017|language=en}}</ref> Chaffetz later accused the crowd of being paid protesters,<ref>Robert Gehrke, [http://www.sltrib.com/home/4928578-155/gehrke-town-hall-anger-needs-direction Town hall anger didn't singe Chaffetz, needs direction before it burns down the house], ''Salt Lake Tribune'' (February 11, 2017): "Chaffetz says he was the focus of a coordinated national effort, claiming paid operatives were brought into Utah to help inflame opponents and are doing the same to disrupt town halls across the country. He offered no evidence of this."</ref><ref>Mallory Shelbourne, [https://thehill.com/homenews/house/319081-chaffetz-crowd-used-bullying-and-intimidation-at-town-hall/ Chaffetz: Crowd used 'bullying and intimidation' at town hall], ''The Hill'' (February 11, 2017)" "Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) says the protesters who disrupted his Thursday town hall were 'a paid attempt to bully and intimidate.' ... Chaffetz offered no evidence that attendees were paid to be there."</ref> and said that he may now avoid providing a venue "for these radicals to further intimidate."<ref name=":5" /> Chaffetz's unsubstantiated claim attracted scorn and anger from the town-hall attendees, some of whom sent mocking "invoices" to Chaffetz.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/4937377-155/chaffetz-claim-of-out-of-state-professional-agitators|title=Chaffetz's unsubstantiated claim of out-of-state professional agitators fuels more anger |author=Thomas Burr |author2=Courtney Tanner|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=February 13, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

===2017 resignation===
{{See also|2017 Utah's 3rd congressional district special election}}

On April 19, 2017, Chaffetz abruptly announced that he would neither seek reelection to the [[United States House of Representatives]] nor run for any other elected office in 2018. At the time, he also implied that he might not finish out the current term.<ref>Fox, Lauren; Walsh, Deidre. "[http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/19/politics/jason-chaffetz-not-seeking-re-election Rep. Jason Chaffetz is not running for re-election]". ''CNN''. April 19, 2017.</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web|title=Chaffetz reveals 'screwy' reason for his leave of absence|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/utah-rep-chaffetz-provides-transparent-reason-leave-absence-n751901|access-date=June 5, 2021|website=NBC News|date=April 28, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> He took a three-week leave of absence from Congress to recuperate from foot surgery.<ref name=":9" /> Chaffetz announced his retirement from the House on May 18 effective June 30, six months into the two-year term.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/jason-chaffetz-resigns-congress-trump/527346/|title=It's Official: Jason Chaffetz Is Leaving Congress|last=Foran|first=Clare|work=The Atlantic|access-date=December 11, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> His resignation triggered [[2017 Utah's 3rd congressional district special election|the first Congressional special election]] in Utah in 87 years,<ref>{{cite web |last=Reilly |first=Mollie |date=June 28, 2017 |title=Jason Chaffetz Officially Joins Fox News |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jason-chaffetz-fox-news_us_5953d396e4b0da2c732063ae |via=Huff Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=McKellar|first=Katie|date=July 13, 2017|title=Chaffetz resignation requires counties to pony up $675K for special election|url=https://www.deseret.com/2017/7/13/20615783/chaffetz-resignation-requires-counties-to-pony-up-675k-for-special-election|access-date=August 9, 2021|website=[[Deseret News]]|language=en}}</ref> which was won by Provo mayor [[John Curtis]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=DeBonis|first=Mike|date=November 7, 2020|title=Republican John Curtis to fill House seat vacated by Jason Chaffetz|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/republican-john-curtis-to-fill-house-seat-vacated-by-jason-chaffetz/2017/11/07/6cf82752-c3e7-11e7-aae0-cb18a8c29c65_story.html}}</ref>

=== Government Accountability Institute ===
In 2021 he joined the [[Government Accountability Institute]],<ref name="deseret.com">{{Cite web |date=March 16, 2021 |title=Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz just joined this conservative think tank |url=https://www.deseret.com/indepth/2021/3/16/22332409/former-rep-jason-chaffetz-just-joined-this-conservative-think-tank-steve-bannon-donald-trump-clinton |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}</ref> a conservative think tank, as a distinguished fellow.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schwarz |first1=D. Hunter |date=March 16, 2021 |title=Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz just joined this conservative think tank |language=en |work=[[Deseret News]] |url=https://www.deseret.com/indepth/2021/3/16/22332409/former-rep-jason-chaffetz-just-joined-this-conservative-think-tank-steve-bannon-donald-trump-clinton}}</ref> The group was founded by [[Peter Schweizer]] and former Trump chief strategist [[Steve Bannon]] and largely bankrolled by the family of [[Robert Mercer]].<ref name="deseret.com"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Inside The Wealthy Family That Has Been Funding Steve Bannon's Plan For Years |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/03/22/521083950/inside-the-wealthy-family-that-has-been-funding-steve-bannon-s-plan-for-years |website=Fresh Air |access-date=19 May 2026}}</ref>

== Post-congressional career ==
After leaving office Chaffetz became a commentator and author. On July 1, 2017, the day following his official resignation from Congress, Chaffetz became a contributor to [[Fox News]] where he serves as a regular guest/host on a variety of programs including ''[[Fox & Friends]]'', ''[[America's Newsroom]]'', ''The Faulkner Focus, [[Outnumbered (American TV program)|Outnumbered]], [[America Reports]], [[The Five (talk show)|The Five]], [[The Ingraham Angle]], [[Hannity]], [[The Big Weekend Show]], Fox & Friends Weekend, [[Fox News Sunday]]'' and ''Sunday Morning Futures''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/28/jason-chaffetz-fox-news-240045|title=Jason Chaffetz signs with Fox News|date=June 28, 2017|newspaper=[[Politico]]}}</ref>

He was a 2017 visiting fellow at the [[Harvard Institute of Politics]] (IOP).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/08/09/utah-chaffetz-join-harvard-kennedy-school-fellow-this-fall/W3c8ubO1B413W6f2JUB6yO/story.html|title=Utah's Chaffetz to join Harvard's Kennedy School as fellow this fall |work=Boston Globe|access-date=September 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Price |first1=Michelle L. |title=Former US Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah to be Harvard fellow |url=https://apnews.com/article/52f08c8cea2e47aa9208461a0b5c9b1a |work=[[Associated Press]] |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |date=August 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Jason Chaffetz|url=https://iop.harvard.edu/fellows/jason-chaffetz|access-date=August 9, 2021|website=[[Harvard Institute of Politics]]|language=en}}</ref>

He is the author of several books published since leaving office. His first book, ''The Deep State: How an Army of Bureaucrats Protected Barack Obama and Is Working to Destroy the Trump Agenda'' was published in September 2018 and became a [[New York Times bestseller|''New York Times'' bestseller]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roche|first=Lisa Riley|date=September 3, 2018|title='The Deep State': Jason Chaffetz says 'it's real' in new book|url=https://www.deseret.com/2018/9/3/20652623/the-deep-state-jason-chaffetz-says-it-s-real-in-new-book|access-date=August 9, 2021|website=[[Deseret News]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web|last=Roche|first=Lisa Riley|date=July 28, 2019|title=New Jason Chaffetz book says he was targeted by Democrats' power grab|url=https://www.deseret.com/2019/7/28/8937812/new-jason-chaffetz-book-says-he-was-targeted-by-democrats-power-grab |access-date=August 9, 2021|website=[[Deseret News]]|language=en}}</ref> The following September he released ''Power Grab: The Liberal Scheme to Undermine Trump, the GOP, and Our Republic.<ref name=":10" />'' 2021 saw the release of Chaffetz's third book, ''They Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste: The Truth About Disaster Liberalism,''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Graham|first=Jennifer|date=May 4, 2021|title=Jason Chaffetz will sing 'Happy Birthday' for you — for a price|url=https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/4/22394574/how-to-get-jason-chaffetz-to-sing-happy-birthday-to-you-sarah-palin-tomi-lahren-cameo |access-date=August 9, 2021|website=[[Deseret News]]|language=en}}</ref> as well as a podcast, ''Jason in the House''.<ref>{{cite web |title='Utah Politics' podcast: Jason Chaffetz |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2021/04/09/utah-politics-podcast/ |website=Utah Politics with Bryan Schott |publisher=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |access-date=August 9, 2021 |date=April 9, 2021}}</ref>

He witnessed the [[assassination of Charlie Kirk|assassination]] of [[Charlie Kirk]], a political activist and co-founder of [[Turning Point USA]], during an event hosted by the organization at [[Utah Valley University]] in [[Orem, Utah]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schoenbaum |first=Hannah |last2=Richer |first2=Alanna Durkin |last3=Sherman |first3=Mark |date=September 10, 2025 |title=Conservative activist Charlie Kirk in critical condition after being shot at Utah college event |url=https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd |access-date=September 10, 2025 |work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

==Political positions==
=== Affordable Care Act ===
Chaffetz has repeatedly voted in favor of repealing the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act|Affordable Care Act]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.healthreformvotes.org/congress/412270|title=Rep. Jason Chaffetz votes on Obamacare|newspaper=HealthReformVotes.org|access-date=February 11, 2017|language=en}}</ref> In March 2017 Chaffetz drew criticism for and later walked back on a statement comparing the cost of healthcare coverage to the cost of purchasing an iPhone. In an interview with CNN he said, "So rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Scott|first1=Eugene|title=Chaffetz walks back remarks on low-income Americans choosing health care over iPhones|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/politics/jason-chaffetz-health-care-iphones/|website=CNN|date=March 7, 2017 |access-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref>

===Budget and taxation===
Chaffetz described Obama's attempts to introduce an inheritance tax on value over $5 million as "one of the most immoral things you can do".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/wealth-tax_n_6512848.html|title=Guess What This Congressman Thinks Is 'One Of The Most Immoral Things You Can Do'|last=Chief|first=Ryan Grim|date=January 21, 2015|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref>

=== District of Columbia legislation ===

====Marijuana====
In February 2015, Chaffetz threatened [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|D.C. mayor]] [[Muriel Bowser]] with possible jail time if she implemented [[2014 Washington, D.C. Initiative 71|Initiative 71]]. The ballot initiative would legalize small amounts of cannabis in the district and was approved by about 64.87 percent of the voters in 2014.<ref name="CannabisDC">{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/233778-republican-threatens-dc-mayor-with-jail-over-marijuana-law/|title=Republican threatens DC mayor with jail over marijuana law|last1=McCabe|first1=David|newspaper=The Hill|access-date=February 25, 2015|date=February 25, 2015}}</ref> In a letter, Chaffetz asserted that D.C. officials who implemented the initiative would violate the [[Antideficiency Act]] (an 1884 act that bars government agencies from spending funds that have not been appropriated by Congress) because Congress had passed a Republican-supported appropriations [[Rider (legislation)|rider]] providing that "none of the funds contained in this act may be used to enact any law, rule or regulation" to legalize or lessen the criminal penalty "for any [[Controlled Substances Act|Schedule I drug]], including marijuana."<ref name="CannabisDC"/><ref name="Freed">Benjamin Freed, [https://washingtonian.com/2015/02/25/jason-chaffetz-is-powerless-to-stop-dcs-marijuana-legalization/ Jason Chaffetz Is Powerless to Stop DC's Marijuana Legalization], ''Washingtonian'' (February 25, 2015).</ref><ref name="Topaz">Jonathan Topaz, [https://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/jason-chaffetz-and-dc-in-pot-showdown-115495 Bowser: D.C. won't back down in Chaffetz pot showdown], ''Politico'' (February 25, 2017).</ref> Chaffetz's statement was rejected by Mayor Bowser, [[District of Columbia Attorney General|D.C. Attorney General]] [[Karl Racine]], and [[Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia|D.C. police chief]] [[Cathy Lanier]], who stated that I-71 was the law and implemented it as scheduled.<ref name="Freed"/><ref name="Topaz"/>

====Other positions====
In 2017, Chaffetz stated that he planned to seek a congressional vote to overturn D.C. legislation allowing terminally ill individuals to end their life.<ref name="wp.righttodie">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/chaffetz-pledges-to-seek-vote-in-house-to-overturn-dc-assisted-suicide-law/2017/02/08/213786d8-ed81-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html|title=Chaffetz pledges to seek vote in House to overturn D.C. assisted-suicide law|last=Davis|first=Aaron|date=February 8, 2017|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=February 10, 2017|location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref> Local organizations decried Chaffetz's move, and District political leaders considered it an attack on the principle of [[District of Columbia home rule]].<ref name=wp.righttodie/> Chaffetz also led the charge in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn the [[Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia|District of Columbia's legalization of same-sex marriage]] in 2009.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705353303/Congressman-Jason-Chaffetz-family-differ-on-gay-marriage.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091226205235/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705353303/Congressman-Jason-Chaffetz-family-differ-on-gay-marriage.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 26, 2009|title=Congressman Jason Chaffetz, family differ on gay marriage|last=Davidson|first=Lee|date=December 22, 2009|newspaper=Deseret News|access-date=February 11, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>Thomas Burr, [http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/news/ci_12308203 Chaffetz seeks to nix gay marriage in D.C.], ''Salt Lake Tribune'' (May 6, 2009).</ref>

=== Energy and environment ===
Chaffetz has expressed his support for "an all-of-the-above energy strategy".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/02/10/jason-chaffetz-faces-harsh-criticism-during-packed-town-hall/RPMsxSFsRWwfXymzdFWyuM/story.html |title=Jason Chaffetz faces harsh criticism during packed town hall |date=February 10, 2017 |last1=Golden |first1=Hallie |last2=Price |first2=Michelle L. |publisher=Boston Globe. bostonglobe.com |access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref>

Chaffetz rejects the [[scientific consensus on climate change]].<ref name="esquire20160317">{{cite news|url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a43111/flint-hearings-republican-hyprocisy/|title=Drink in This Republican Hypocrisy From the Flint Water Hearings Today|last=Pierce|first=Charles P.|date=March 17, 2016|magazine=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|author-link=Charlie Pierce|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/4343893-155/a-clean-energy-champion-groups-debate-rep?fullpage=1|title=A 'Clean-Energy Champion?' Groups Debate Rep. Mia Love's Environmental Stance|last=Canham|first=Matt|date=September 19, 2016|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref> In his 2008 [[Stump speech (politics)|stump speech]], Chaffetz claimed [[global warming]] was a "farce."<ref name="dailyherald_061408" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thinkprogress.org/the-climate-zombie-caucus-of-the-112th-congress-2ee9c4f9e46|title=The Climate Zombie Caucus Of The 112th Congress|last=Johnson|first=Brad|date=November 19, 2010|website=[[ThinkProgress]]|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref> He has voted in favor of legislation that would bar the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Jason_Chaffetz_Energy_+_Oil.htm|title=Jason Chaffetz on Energy & Oil|website=www.ontheissues.org|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref>

Chaffetz advocates for the sale of millions of acres of publicly owned land to the highest bidder.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/paul-ryan-bowhunter_n_1784334.html|title=Paul Ryan, Bowhunter, Has Mixed Record On The Outdoors|last=Jamieson|first=Dave|date=August 15, 2012|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref> In January 2017 Chaffetz introduced a bill, the Disposal of Excess Federal Lands Act (H.R. 621), which would have transferred 3.3 million acres of [[Federal lands|public land]] in ten Western states from the federal [[Bureau of Land Management]] to state ownership.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/31/public-lands-sell-congress-bureau-management-chaffetz|title=Republicans move to sell off 3.3m acres of national land, sparking rallies|last=Enders|first=Caty|date=January 31, 2017|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/621|title=H.R.621 – Disposal of Excess Federal Lands Act of 2017|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref> Chaffetz said that the land served "no purpose for taxpayers."<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/letters-from-the-west/article130291054.html|title=Chaffetz withdraws public land sale bill after outcry from hunters, anglers|newspaper=Idaho Statesman|access-date=February 11, 2017|language=en}}</ref> On February 1, following a backlash, Chaffetz announced via [[Instagram]] that he was withdrawing the resolution.<ref name=":7"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/02/02/facing-backlash-utah-rep-jason-chaffetz-withdraws-bill-to-transfer-federal-land-to-the-states/|title=Facing backlash, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz withdraws bill to transfer federal land to the states|last=Eilperin|first=Juliet|date=February 2, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/02/republican-selling-public-lands-bill-withdraw-jason-chaffetz|title=Republicans back off bill to sell 3.3m acres of public land after outcry|last=Enders|first=Caty|date=February 2, 2017|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref>

Chaffetz has opposed federal protection for Utah's resident [[greater-sage grouse]], a bird whose population has shrunk from 16 million 100 years ago to about 200,000 today. In 2007, a court ruled that political tampering by [[Julie A. MacDonald]], then-deputy assistant secretary for the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]], had "tainted" the bird's assessment, and a new review was ordered. In March 2010, [[United States Secretary of the Interior|U.S. interior secretary]] [[Ken Salazar]] assigned the bird "warranted but precluded" status, paving the way for its future protection.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/science/earth/06grouse.html?partner=rss&emc=rss|title=No Endangered Status for Plains Bird|last=Broder|first=John|date=March 6, 2010|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 18, 2011}}</ref>

Chaffetz scored 0% in 2015, and 3% lifetime, on the National Environmental Scorecard of the [[League of Conservation Voters]].<ref name="esquire20160317" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/jason-chaffetz|title=Representative Jason Chaffetz (R)|publisher=[[League of Conservation Voters]]|access-date=February 4, 2017|work=National Environmental Scorecard}}</ref>

=== Foreign and defense policy ===
[[File:Safety First (5577354240).jpg|thumb|Chaffetz in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2011]]
==== Afghanistan ====
Chaffetz criticized the surge of 30,000 troops President Obama authorized for the war in Afghanistan, saying that the United States does not have a clear policy or exit strategy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071205394.html|title=Freshman lawmaker Jason Chaffetz goes against Republican grain on Afghan war|last=Bacon Jr|first=Perry|date=July 13, 2010|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/11/chaffetz-bring-home-afghan-troops-029962|title=Chaffetz: Bring home Afghan troops|last=Libit|first=Daniel|date=November 29, 2009|work=Politico|access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://chaffetz.house.gov/press-release/chairman-chaffetz-questions-sigar-afghanistan-transparency |title=Chairman Chaffetz questions SIGAR on Afghanistan Transparency |work=chaffetz.house.gov |access-date=October 12, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021222444/http://chaffetz.house.gov/press-release/chairman-chaffetz-questions-sigar-afghanistan-transparency |archive-date=October 21, 2015 }}</ref>

==== Benghazi attack ====
Chaffetz has been vocal against the White House and State Department's handling of the [[2012 Benghazi attack|September 11, 2012, attacks on the US Consulate compound in Benghazi]]. The Administration first stated the attacks were sparked by a spontaneous protest, then later stated the violence was a planned terrorist attack.

{{blockquote|There was a very conscious decision made, I believe—my personal opinion is that they wanted the appearance of 'normalization' there in Libya and building up of an infrastructure, putting up barbed wire on our facility would lead to the wrong impression. Something that this administration didn't want to have moving forward.<ref name="thehill.com">{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/video/house/260927-chaffetz-suspects-libya-security-decisions-coordinated-between-white-house-state-dept/|title=Chaffetz Suspects Libya Security Decisions 'coordinated' Between White House, State Dept.|last=Meghashyam|first=Mali|date=October 19, 2012|work=The Hill}}</ref>}}

He criticized [[United States Ambassador to the United Nations]] [[Susan Rice]]'s initial comments calling them "somewhere between an outrageous lie and total falsehood."<ref name="thehill.com" />

Chaffetz has been criticized for politicizing the Benghazi incident, acknowledging in an interview with [[CNN]] anchor [[Soledad O'Brien]] that he had "voted to cut the funding for embassy security" and that House Republicans had consciously voted to reduce the funds allocated to the State Department for embassy security since winning the majority in 2010. "Absolutely," he said. "Look, we have to make priorities and choices in this country."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/jason-chaffetz-embassy_n_1954912.html|title=Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Prioritize Things.'|date=October 10, 2012|work=Huffington Post}}</ref>

==== Homeland security ====
In December 2009, Chaffetz championed legislation to limit the use of full-body imaging scanners at airports unless a metal detector first indicated a need for more screening. The images have come under intense scrutiny from privacy groups for allegedly letting security administrators view images of undressed passengers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Do-airport-imagers-invade-privacy-3204701.php|title=Do airport imagers invade privacy?|last=Asimov|first=Nanette|date=December 29, 2009|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=February 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101041309/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/12/29/MNF61BAGT9.DTL|archive-date=January 1, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

Chaffetz and [[Transportation Security Administration]] (TSA) have had a rocky relationship since he joined Congress. In his freshman year, in what critics have described as political grandstanding, he accused TSA agents at his hometown airport in [[Salt Lake City]] of unfairly targeting him to pass through a full-body scanning machine—a device Chaffetz believes is invasive. The Republican lawmaker said he believed he was targeted partially for his opposition to granting TSA screeners collective bargaining rights. A FOIA request by the ''[[Deseret News]]'' for video of the incident showed it to be a "tame and rather civilized exchange between the two."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705337424/No-fracas-shown-in-TSA-video.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518102305/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705337424/No-fracas-shown-in-TSA-video.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2015|title=No fracas show in TSA video|last=Davidson|first=Lee|date=October 18, 2009|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> TSA's November 2009 report following their internal investigation primarily supported the Chaffetz version of the story.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705342395/TSA-backs-up-most-of-Chaffetzs-account.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518102331/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705342395/TSA-backs-up-most-of-Chaffetzs-account.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2015|title=TSA backs up most of Chaffetz's account|last=Davidson|first=Lee|date=November 6, 2009|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> The union representing some of the officers said at the time that agents followed proper procedure and that an officer who had recently returned from military service in Iraq had not even recognized Chaffetz.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/bill-requires-tsa-seek-parental-ok-before-patting-down-a-child/2011/04/19/AF0dj03D_blog.html|title=Bill Requires TSA Seek Parental OK Before Patting-Down A Child.|date=April 19, 2011|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref>

In 2014 and 2015, Chaffetz headed congressional hearings into [[United States Secret Service]] security failures in response to incidents at the time including [[2014 White House intrusion|a White House fence jumper]], a [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]] security guard being armed while riding an elevator with President [[Barack Obama]], and agents crashing a car into a White House barricade.{{sfn|Leonnig|2021|pp=405–408, 424–428}} In a hearing on March 24, 2015, Chaffetz accused [[Joseph Clancy (Secret Service)|Joseph Clancy]], then-director of the Secret Service, of "keeping Congress and the American public in the dark" by not allowing witnesses to testify regarding the car crash.{{sfn|Leonnig|2021|pp=423–424}}
In June 2015, [[James Comey]] announced that the [[United States Office of Personnel Management]] (OPM) had been the target of a data breach targeting the records of more than 18 million Americans.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/22/politics/opm-hack-18-milliion/index.html |date=June 24, 2015 |title=U.S. government hack could actually affect 18 million |first1=Evan |last1=Perez |first2=Shimon |last2=Prokupecz |website=[[CNN]] }}</ref> The OPM director [[Katherine Archuleta]] faced criticism at a hearing of the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]] in the wake of the revelation of the [[Office of Personnel Management data breach]]. Republican Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz said to her, "your systems were vulnerable, the data was not encrypted, it could be compromised, they were right!" and asked her why she ignored a recommendation to shut the system down in light of its vulnerability.<ref>{{cite news |title=Data Hack Leads To Call For OPM Chief's Resignation |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/16/415019551/data-hack-leads-to-call-for-opm-chiefs-resignation?t=1608564798765 |work=[[NPR]] |date=June 16, 2015}}</ref>
Regarding [[Jakelin Caal Maquin]], a seven-year-old girl who died in the custody of US Border Patrol on December 8, 2018, Chaffetz said on Fox News: "That should be the message, don't make this journey, it will kill you."<ref>[https://thinkprogress.org/jason-chaffetz-says-if-you-dont-want-to-die-dont-come-to-the-u-s-70f19eb74ae1/ Jason Chaffetz says if you don't want to die, don't come to the U.S. "That should be the message. Don't make this journey. It will kill you."], ''[[Think Progress]]'', Rebekah Entralgo, December 15, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2019.</ref>

==== Chinese espionage ====
Beginning with his time as a Dublin, California city councilor, [[Eric Swalwell]] was targeted by a Chinese woman believed to be a clandestine officer of [[China]]'s [[Ministry of State Security (China)|Ministry of State Security]]. Swalwell's general relationship with a suspected [[Chinese intelligence activity abroad#United States|Chinese agent]], Christine Fang, has been characterized as problematic, particularly given the high-profile role that he occupied – a member of the [[United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|House Intelligence Committee]] – within the intelligence community.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chaffetz: Eric Swalwell should be thrown off intelligence committee after being linked to Chinese spy |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/chaffetz-eric-swalwell-thrown-off-142635172.html |agency=Yahoo |work=Fox News |date=December 9, 2020 |archive-date=December 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211163511/https://www.yahoo.com/news/chaffetz-eric-swalwell-thrown-off-142635172.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Chaffetz said that [[Nancy Pelosi]] "is the person that appoints people to that select committee. Why did they have to have him in that committee when they know that he has potentially been compromised? Rep. Swalwell has not denied the fact that this actually did happen."<ref>{{cite news |title=Jason Chaffetz: Swalwell should be thrown off intelligence committee |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-swalwell-chinese-spy-intelligence-committee-jason-chaffetz |work=Fox News |date=December 9, 2020}}</ref>

=== LGBT issues ===
Chaffetz opposes same-sex marriage.<ref name=":0" /> After the [[Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia|District of Columbia legalized same-sex marriage in 2009]], Chaffetz led the charge in attempts to overturn the decision taken by mayor of DC.<ref name=":0" />

On the one-month anniversary of the 2016 [[Orlando nightclub shooting]], Chaffetz chaired committee hearings on the [[First Amendment Defense Act]], which would prevent the government from taking discriminatory action against people from taxpayer-funded entities and would protect tax exemption status of parochial organizations if they refused service to LGBT individuals on the basis of their religious beliefs.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/house-republicans-lgbt-bills_us_577bf899e4b041646410d8c7|title=Republicans Are Truly, Madly, Deeply Obsessed With Queer People|author=[[Jennifer Bendery]] |date=July 6, 2016|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.advocate.com/politics/2016/7/12/house-considers-anti-lgbt-right-discriminate-anniversary-orlando-video | work = The Advocate |title=House Debates Federal 'Right to Discriminate' on Anniversary of Orlando |date=July 12, 2016|access-date=February 11, 2017|language=en}}</ref> The American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP and Planned Parenthood Federation of America were among those who criticized him for it.<ref name=":1" />

=== Net neutrality ===
Chaffetz opposes net neutrality, the principle that [[Internet service provider]]s should not be allowed to discriminate or charge differentially by user, content, website or platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=169823996386029&id=212373730233|title=Jason Chaffetz – NO on 'net neutrality' {{!}} Facebook|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref> In March 2015, he held hearings as to whether the Obama administration had secretly influenced the Federal Communications Commission when it adopted rules to ensure net neutrality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/03/19/rep_jason_chaffetz_grills_fcc_chairman_on_net_neutrality_were_supposed_to_believe_this_didnt_come_up_at_the_wh.html|title=Rep. Jason Chaffetz Grills FCC Chairman On Net Neutrality: We're Supposed To Believe This Didn't Come Up At The WH?|website=www.realclearpolitics.com|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref>

=== Planned Parenthood hearings ===
In a September 2015 hearing, Chaffetz questioned [[Planned Parenthood]]'s president [[Cecile Richards]] on her salary,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/planned-parenthood-jason-chaffetz-no-funding-214219|title=GOP chair attacks Planned Parenthood president's salary|newspaper=Politico|date=September 29, 2015 |access-date=October 5, 2015}}</ref> and displayed a chart that he claimed was taken from Planned Parenthood's annual report that showed Planned Parenthood-provided abortions going up while cancer screenings and [[preventative care]] going down.<ref name="PlannedParentChart2">{{cite web|author=Linda Qiu|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/oct/01/jason-chaffetz/chart-shown-planned-parenthood-hearing-misleading-/|title=Chart shown at Planned Parenthood hearing is misleading and 'ethically wrong'|publisher=PolitiFact|date=October 1, 2015}}</ref> In fact, the chart was actually taken from a Web post by an anti-abortion group, [[Americans United for Life]], and was [[Misleading graph|presented in a misleading way]], using questionable "dual-axis" charting.<ref name="PlannedParentChart2"/> Experts in data presentation said this was an egregious example of using a chart to mislead; [[Alberto Cairo]] of the [[University of Miami]], an expert in visual communication, said it was a "damn lie,"<ref name="PlannedParentChart2"/> and [[Andrew Gelman]], professor of [[statistics]] and [[political science]], and director of the Applied Statistics Center at [[Columbia University]], described the graph as a "truly immoral bit of graphical manipulation."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://andrewgelman.com/2015/10/01/jason-chaffetz-is-the-garo-yepremian-of-the-u-s-house-of-representatives-and-i-dont-mean-that-in-a-good-way/|title=Jason Chaffetz is the Garo Yepremian of the U.S. House of Representatives, and I don't mean that in a good way.|date=October 1, 2015|website=Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science}}</ref>

=== President Obama ===
In January 2010, Chaffetz was called upon to question [[Barack Obama]] when the president spoke to the [[Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives|House Republican Conference]] retreat in Baltimore.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?291730-1/presidential-remarks-house-republican-conference|date=January 29, 2010|title=Presidential Remarks at House Republican Conference|publisher=[[C-SPAN]]|location=Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel}}</ref> Chaffetz applauded Obama for some of the promises made during the campaign, but asked why promises to broadcast healthcare debates on [[C-SPAN]], keep lobbyists out of senior positions, go line-by-line through the health care bill and end earmarks had not been kept. Video of the Q&A session received extensive media coverage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/700005678/Utahs-Jason-Chaffetz-tells-Obama-face-to-face-that-he-broke-promises.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501053744/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/700005678/Utahs-Jason-Chaffetz-tells-Obama-face-to-face-that-he-broke-promises.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 1, 2015|title=Utah's Jason Chaffetz tells Obama face to face that he broke promises|last=Davidson|first=Lee|date=January 30, 2010|work=Deseret News|access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14295472|title=Chaffetz goes toe to toe with Obama|last=Canham|first=Matt|date=January 29, 2010|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|access-date=October 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021222413/http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14295472|archive-date=October 21, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/meet-the-congressman-who-confronted-president-obama|title=Meet the Congressman Who Confronted President Obama|date=January 31, 2010|work=Fox News}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLtVRBCsnOc|title=CNN_01-29-2010 Campbell Brown Interview Part 1|date=February 1, 2010|work=YouTube|access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref>

Upon hearing that Obama had won the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 2009, Chaffetz said he had "lost all respect for the award" and that "it used to be one of distinction, but [now] it is hard to give it any credibility."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_13525370?IADID|title=Republicans Incredulous, Critical over Obama's Peace Prize|last=Canham|first=Matt|date=October 10, 2009|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|access-date=November 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604213019/http://www.sltrib.com/ci_13525370?IADID|archive-date=June 4, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== President Trump ===
==== 2016 presidential election ====
Following the [[Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape|Donald Trump ''Access Hollywood'' controversy]], on October 7, 2016, Chaffetz was the first Republican member of Congress to rescind his endorsement of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/07/the-gops-brutal-responses-to-the-new-trump-video-broken-down/|title=The GOP's brutal responses to the new Trump video, broken down|date=October 9, 2016|last=Blake|first=Aaron|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref> "I can't endorse somebody who acts and thinks like this."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kutv.com/news/local/utah-lt-gov-says-leaked-video-makes-it-that-much-easier-not-to-support-trump|title=Some Utah Republicans dump Trump in light of video, others don't|first=Daniel|last=Woodruff|date=October 7, 2016}}</ref> ''The Washington Post'' quoted Chaffetz as saying that he couldn't look his 15-year-old daughter in the eye and talk about what the GOP presidential nominee said, "It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine."<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/26/gop-rep-jason-chaffetz-says-his-conscience-wont-let-him-support-donald-trump-just-vote-for-him/ |newspaper= Washington Post | access-date = February 14, 2017 | title = Jason Chaffetz just set some sort of modern record for flip-floppery |date= October 26, 2016| first = Amber | last = Phillips }}</ref> However, less than three weeks later, on October 26, 2016, he posted on Twitter that he was voting for Trump, while claiming that vote was not an endorsement: "I will not defend or endorse @realDonaldTrump, but I am voting for him."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/26/politics/jason-chaffetz-utah-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/ |work = CNN | title = Jason Chaffetz appears to flip-flop on Trump | access-date = February 14, 2017 | date = October 26, 2016 | first = Daniella | last = Diaz}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/endorse | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925133156/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/endorse | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 25, 2016 |work = OED | title = Endorse | access-date = December 5, 2017 }}</ref> Chaffetz was also the first member of Congress and the only actual addressee recipient of FBI Director Comey’s confidential memo addressed to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the relevant House and Senate Committees to falsely leak that FBI Director Comey was reopening its investigation of Clinton's e-mails 11 days before the 2016 election.<ref name="josh israel 2016"/> There was nothing in Comey’s letter that indicated the case was being reopened, instead, Comey stated "bureau investigators would review some additional emails that might relate to Hillary Clinton’s email server".<ref name="josh israel 2016">{{Cite web |first=Josh |last=Israel |date=October 28, 2016 |title=How one Congressman punked the media on the FBI letter about Clinton's emails |url=https://archive.thinkprogress.org/trump-chaffetz-fbi-investigation-lies-e9fff5359102/ |access-date=July 29, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Oversight Committee chairmanship during the Trump administration====
As chairman of the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform|House Oversight and Government Reform Committee]] (which is tasked with investigating "waste, fraud, and abuse" in the executive branch), Chaffetz has been criticized for showing a disinterest in investigating President Trump's conflicts of interest and for failing to criticize him for not resolving ethical questions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/2/9/14572394/jason-chaffetz-utah|title=Hundreds chant "do your job!" at House Republican in charge of investigating Trump|last=Stein|first=Jeff|date=February 9, 2017|website=Vox|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/26/14365998/donald-trump-gop|title=Donald Trump now commands nearly complete loyalty from congressional Republicans|last=Stein|first=Jeff|date=January 26, 2016 |newspaper=Vox|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref> Chaffetz has said that Trump's global financial ties don't merit a congressional investigation: "It's interesting, because under Section 208 of the criminal code, the president is exempt from almost every conflict-of-interest [law] ... I think the president has a duty and an obligation to live up to the Constitution and the law. And what he's required to do by law, it appears he's done."<ref name=":6" /> However, ethics experts have said that Trump's business conflicts and his failure to resolve them are "nakedly unconstitutional."<ref name=":6" /> Chaffetz also declined to investigate the circumstances surrounding the resignation of [[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Adviser]] [[Michael T. Flynn|Michael Flynn]], who stepped down amid controversy over his communications with the Russian government before Trump took office. Chaffetz said that "it's taking care of itself" and that any investigation into Flynn was for the [[House Intelligence Committee]] to conduct; Chaffetz also asked the Justice Department inspector general to investigate the leaks that brought Flynn's contacts with Russian officials to public light.<ref>
* Amanda Terkel, [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jason-chaffetz-michael-flynn_us_58a31aa2e4b03df370da45b9 House Oversight Committee Chair Won't Investigate Michael Flynn], ''Huffington Post'' (February 14, 2017).
* Cristinao Lima, [https://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/chaffetz-leaks-michael-flynn-235079 Chaffetz asks Justice IG to investigate leaks about Flynn], ''Politico'' (February 15, 2017).</ref>

Some commentators criticized Chaffetz's perceived lack of interest in Trump administration oversight, especially in light of Chaffetz's zealous investigation of items such as the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]]'s use of the [[Sid the Science Kid]] cartoon character as part of an anti-[[Zika virus]] campaign<ref>[[Dana Milbank]], [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/instead-of-probing-trump-chaffetz-takes-aim-at-a-cartoon-preschooler/2017/02/13/7e74e63c-f232-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html While Trump scandals mount, Chaffetz decides to investigate... a cartoon character], ''Washington Post'' (February 13, 2017).</ref> and a December 2016 tweet from [[Bryce Canyon National Park]] welcoming the designation of a new national monument.<ref>
* Paulina Firozi, [https://thehill.com/homenews/house/320607-chaffetz-probing-national-parks-tweet-welcoming-a-national-monument/ Chaffetz probing national park's tweet welcoming new monument], ''The Hill'' (February 22, 2017): "Chaffetz's probe comes amid criticism against the Oversight chairman for not aggressively investigating the Trump administration for potential conflicts of interest or collusion with Russia."
* Chris D'Angelo, [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jason-chaffetz-bears-ears-tweet-probe-us_us_58acc6a8e4b03d80af70717b Rep. Chaffetz Vows To Investigate Utah Park's Tweet Welcoming Bears Ears Monument], ''Huffington Post'' (February 21, 2017).
* Becca Stanek, [https://theweek.com/speedreads/681594/rather-than-investigate-ethics-white-house-jason-chaffetz-probing-national-parks-twitter-account Rather than investigate ethics in the White House, Jason Chaffetz is probing a national park's Twitter account], ''The Week'' (February 22, 2017).</ref>

Chaffetz has also attacked those who have brought attention to Trump's conflicts of interest. In January 2017, Chaffetz threatened to investigate the independent [[United States Office of Government Ethics|Office of Government Ethics]] (OGE) after the Office had questioned Trump's commitment to resolve conflicts of interest.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/us/politics/rep-jason-chaffetz-ethics-monitor-investigation-threat.html|title=G.O.P. Lawmaker Hints at Investigating Ethics Chief Critical of Trump|last1=Eder|first1=Steve|date=January 13, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=February 11, 2017|last2=Lipton|first2=Eric|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> According to the ''New York Times'', "Chaffetz, in his letter, noted his committee's authority to reauthorize the office, a hint that it could perhaps be shut down."<ref name=":2" /> Richard W. Painter, a former ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, said that Chaffetz was trying to punish the OGE for criticizing Trump.<ref name=":2" /> A January 2017 poll by ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' and Hinckley Institute of Politics found that 65% of registered Utah voters supported a probe into Trump's conflicts of interest, compared to just 31% opposed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/4831057-155/ethics-official-responds-to-chaffetz-criticisms|title=Utahns want Chaffetz to probe Trump conflicts, ethics official responds to Chaffetz|last=Tanner|first=Courtney |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=January 17, 2017|access-date=February 11, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

Chaffetz said in January 2017 that he would continue his investigations into Hillary Clinton.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Dan Berman|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/chaffetz-clinton-investigation/|title=Chaffetz on Clinton: 'The investigation continues'|publisher=CNN|date=January 21, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> In October 2016, when Clinton seemed likely to become the next President, Chaffetz said that he was already preparing for "years" of investigations of Clinton.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-republicans-are-already-preparing-for-years-of-investigations-of-clinton/2016/10/26/e153a714-9ac3-11e6-9980-50913d68eacb_story.html|title=House Republicans are already preparing for 'years' of investigations of Clinton|last=Weigel |first=David|date=October 26, 2016 |newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref>

==== Michael T. Flynn ====
Chaffetz drew criticism again in January–February 2017 for his refusal to investigate White House National Security Adviser [[Michael T. Flynn]]'s ties to Russia after it was revealed that U.S. counterintelligence agents were investigating him for his communications with Russian officials.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/319354-dems-blast-chaffetz-for-declining-to-investigate-flynn/|title=Dems blast Chaffetz for declining to investigate Flynn|last=Marcos|first=Cristina|date=February 13, 2017|newspaper=TheHill|access-date=February 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/instead-of-probing-trump-chaffetz-takes-aim-at-a-cartoon-preschooler/2017/02/13/7e74e63c-f232-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html?postshare=9591487086227796&tid=ss_tw|title=While Trump scandals mount, Chaffetz decides to investigate ... a cartoon character|last=Milbank|first=Dana|date=February 13, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=February 14, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/2/14/14609850/gop-investigators-wont-investigate-michael-flynn|title=Top GOP investigators on the Hill say they won't investigate Michael Flynn|last=Golshan|first=Tara|date=February 14, 2017 |newspaper=Vox|access-date=February 14, 2017}}</ref> The day after Flynn's resignation, a reporter asked Chaffetz whether he would investigate Flynn, and Chaffetz answered, "It's taking care of itself".<ref name=":8" />

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Leonnig|first=Carol|title=Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MikvEAAAQBAJ|place=New York|publisher=Random House|year=2021|isbn=978-0-399-58901-0|oclc=1263283920}}

==External links==
{{Wikimedia}}
*{{Official website|https://www.jasoninthehouse.com/}}
* {{C-SPAN|1031362}}
* {{CongLinks | congbio=C001076 | votesmart=103482 | fec=H8UT03089 | congress=jason-chaffetz/1956 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131021173245/http://www.sltrib.com/Topics/CHAFFETZ Collected news and commentary] at ''[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]''
* {{Muckrack}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Chris Cannon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States representatives from Utah|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Utah's 3rd congressional district]]|years=2009–2017}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Curtis]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Darrell Issa]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]]|years=2015–2017}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Trey Gowdy]]}}
|-
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=[[David Daniel Marriott]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States order of precedence|Order of precedence of the United States]]<br>''{{small|as Former U.S. Representative}}''|years=}}
{{s-fol|after=[[Steve Largent]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
{{s-end}}

{{US House Oversight and Government Reform chairs}}
{{United States representatives from Utah}}
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=112nd–115th [[United States Congress]] |state=[[Utah's congressional delegations|Utah]]}}
{{USCongRep/UT/112}}
{{USCongRep/UT/113}}
{{USCongRep/UT/114}}
{{USCongRep/UT/115}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaffetz, Jason}}
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