Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said at an event in Phoenix on Tuesday she “absolutely” hopes former President Donald Trump will be criminally charged for his actions while contesting the 2020 election results in Arizona.
“She was asked if she would like to see Attorney General Kris Mayes follow suit with Georgia in filing suit against Trump,” KTAR’s Taylor Tassler, who attended Tuesday’s event, reported.
“Absolutely,” Hobbs replied, as heard in audio recorded at the event and released by KTAR 92.3 later that day. The governor added, “I have been an advocate for holding folks involved in trying to overturn the will of the voters in the 2020 election accountable, and this is part of that.”
Asked about the charges against Trump in Georgia, Hobbs added that “[a]ccountability is critical” especially for the “top level” and called the indictments “an important step forward.” Radio personalities later speculated that Hobbs may have already spoken with Mayes about new charges against Trump.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs says she'd like to see charges against Donald Trump in Arizona, similar to the ones in Georgia. pic.twitter.com/kDWi9uMzIe
— Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on KTAR News 92.3 (@OutspokenKTAR) August 15, 2023
However, Hobbs’ communication director Christian Slater later claimed, in a statement released late Tuesday to KTAR, that Hobbs “misheard the question” and was “responding generally” about her stance on what should be done with those who break the law. Slater stressed that Hobbs “believes in allowing the legal process to proceed independently and without political interference.”
Slater did not comment when The Arizona Sun Times asked if his clarification of Hobbs’ answer means the governor does not want Arizona to bring similar charges against the former president via message and did not return a phone call.
The governor’s office also did not respond to a comment request from The Sun Times seeking to clarify whether Hobbs believes Trump and his allies engaged in the same criminal activities in Arizona as they are alleged to have committed in Georgia or whether Hobbs or her team have spoken with the attorney general’s office about charges against Trump.
The Sun Times contacted Mayes’ office to ask if the attorney general is planning to introduce charges against Trump and whether she has spoken with Hobbs or her representatives on the matter but did not receive a response before press time.
On Monday, a Georgia grand jury approved 10 indictments brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, alleging that Trump and his allies organized a racketeering effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump’s presidential campaign called it a “bogus indictment,” adding that the charges were motivated by “election interference reasons.” The former president maintained his innocence in a post on Truth Social and doubled down on his 2020 election claims.
Arizona Republicans have supported Trump on the matter, with Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) calling the case a “sham” and a “[w]itch hunt,” former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake calling the indictments “an absolute joke,” and State Senator Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) pledging he will continue to stand with Trump.
Other high-profile individuals charged in the Georgia case include former Mike Pence chief of staff Marc Short, former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, and former Trump attorneys Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell.
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Tom Pappert is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Tom on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Gov. Katie Hobbs” by Gage Skidmore CC2.0.
