Lawmaker Who Pushed for Election 'Audit' Abruptly Resigns, Citing 'Attacks' on Wife and Family

Rick Bowmer/AP/Shutterstock Rep. Steve Christiansen

Utah Rep. Steve Christiansen abruptly resigned from the state legislature on Thursday evening, writing obliquely to colleagues that the decision was motivated by "attacks" on his family after he pushed for an audit of the 2020 election results, despite no proof of fraud.

"While I expected, unfortunately, to be to be personally maligned and ridiculed as a public servant, I did not expect to see individuals attack my wife as they have, nor to see the significance of the impact of those attacks on her and our family. Primarily for that reason, it has become necessary to 'pause,' " Christiansen, 60, wrote in the letter sent to the Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives.

The Republican — who has served in the legislature since January 2020 — further used the letter to resign from his position at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, writing, "I do not wish to infer that my views represent those of [the church.] I therefore believe it is best to retire from Church employment to avoid potential misunderstandings."

According to his LinkedIn page, Christiansen served as director of Presiding Bishopric Projects at the church.

The now-former state representative added in his letter that the decision to leave the church was his alone.

Christiansen's resignation comes days after he gave a speech at a conspiracy-fueled right-wing press conference featuring controversial figures such as disgraced Trump adviser Michael Flynn and others who promoted unproven treatments for COVID-19, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

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Christiansen had in recent weeks been pushing for an audit of the 2020 election results in Utah, which was won by former President Donald Trump.

Despite Trump's win in the state, Christiansen continued to argue that the vote was not "clean," calling for an audit at an Oct. 20 meeting about election integrity, which brought hundreds to the Utah state Capitol.

Gov. Spencer Cox pushed back on those claims in a statement released last week, saying, "There is absolutely no evidence of election fraud in Utah."

In Arizona, where Trump supporters also called for an audit despite there being no evidence of election fraud, an audit only reaffirmed President Joe Biden's win.

In his resignation letter, Christiansen wrote, "We are in the midst of a Constitutional crisis of epic proportions and there is much to be done! The day may come when I re-enter the public arena. In the meantime, however, I plan to maintain a strong voice for freedom and liberty and remain engaged in the battle to ensure election integrity, medical freedom, and the protection of families."

Christiansen's office did not response to PEOPLE's request for clarification on the threats he said his family received or on a request for more details about the timeline of his resignation.

In a statement posted to Twitter after Christiansen announced his resignation, the Utah House Majority wrote that it wished him "the best in his future endeavors."

Utah Democrats, however, cheered the exit, saying in a statement obtained by local station KUTV that they "unequivocally condemn attacks on the families of elected officials. However, Rep. Christiansen made a name for himself in our state and nationally as a peddler of dangerous conspiracy theories. By aligning himself closely with insurrectionists who sought to destroy our system of government and way of life, Rep. Christiansen put our state, nation, and democratic ideals in jeopardy."

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Earlier this week, some of the country's top election officials spoke before Congress and detailed the threats they said they've received from Trump supporters, which ramped up in intensity along with legal challenges to the election.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, described how, as poll workers continued tabulated votes two weeks after the election, "armed protesters gathered outside my home and chanted, 'Katie, come out and play. We are watching you.' "

The threats spanned across the aisle, too, with Al Schmidt, a Republican city commissioner on the Philadelphia Board of Elections, telling a Senate committee he received several threats, including one that said: "Tell the truth or your three kids will be fatally shot," along with the names of his children, his address, and a photo of his home.