Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) released a statement on Thursday revealing the Arizona Freedom Caucus plans to vigorously oppose Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes’ prosecutions of Cochise County election officials, and told The Arizona Sun Times he expects near-unanimous support in the state legislature.
Mayes’ office on Wednesday announced the indictments of Cochise County Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd, who are both Republican, after they briefly delayed certifying the county’s 2022 midterm election while they investigated possible illegal activity. Mayes, who narrowly won the state’s attorney general election in 2022 by just 280 votes, claimed in a statement that Crosby and Judd were attempting “to undermine” Arizona’s “democracy” with the short delay.
In a statement posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Hoffman accused Mayes of being an “extremist” engaged in election interference with the aim of chilling “future efforts by local election officials to challenge potentially inaccurate election.”
According to Hoffman, the message behind Mayes’ prosecution is, “tow the executive branch’s line or we will politically persecute you and throw you in jail.”
Hoffman, who founded and leads the Arizona Freedom Caucus, wrote that the lawmakers “will be looking at every possible option to make weaponizing our state’s government and abusing Executive power as painful as humanly possible” for Mayes and her office. Hoffman wrote, “This includes legal action, budget, [Oversight and Investigations], statutory, and everything else up to and including impeachment.”
He also urged other county election officials and Arizona’s sheriffs to oppose the prosecution or expect similar reprisals from Mayes over other partisan issues, particularly illegal immigration.
Democrat Kris Mayes is engaged in a disgusting weaponization of the AZ Attorney General’s office.
Make no mistake, this is ELECTION INTERFERENCE by an extremist AG who wants to chill any future efforts by local election officials to challenge potentially inaccurate elections.… pic.twitter.com/NK6GqKGoIH
— Jake Hoffman (@JakeHoffmanAZ) November 30, 2023
In a Thursday phone call to The Sun Times, Hoffman confirmed the Arizona Freedom Caucus will consider “all available opportunities” to stop what he described as an executive branch teaming with power abuses, promising oversight for Mayes’ office, as well as the offices of Governor Katie Hobbs (D) and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D).
“We want to make sure the entire executive branch is fully aware that there will be harsh penalties from the legislative branch,” Hoffman noted. “We are coequal, and our job is to check the power of each other. That includes oversight, investigation, budgetary actions, and statutory laws. ”
Hoffman called the prosecution a “clear shot across the bow of local officials,” warning them not to “step out of line with Democratic dogma.” Hoffman said Mayes sent the message that government officials who refuse to comply with Democratic demands will be politically prosecuted and “thrown in jail.”
“This is exactly what we’ve seen from the corrupt Biden administration, and the weaponized Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.,” Hoffman told The Sun Times. He added that it is unfortunate Mayes, Hobbs, and Fontes “are trying to export that corrupt model and bring it to Arizona.”
Hoffman continued, “The Arizona Freedom Caucus says, ‘Over our dead bodies. We will stand in your way at every juncture to ensure you do not corrupt this state.'”
Asked whether he expected the Arizona Freedom Caucus’ efforts will receive wider support from Arizona Republicans, the group’s founding chairman seemed certain.
“Legislative Republicans are fed up with the continuous overreach of executive power in Arizona right now,” Hoffman added. “I am confident that we will have many Republicans, if not unanimous support, in the capitol,” declaring Arizona Republicans are “ready to push back in some form.”
If the prosecution continues, and Crosby and Judd are found guilty, they could face prison sentences ranging from six months to 2.5 years each. A trial is scheduled for May 24, 2024.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kris Mayes” by Attorney General Kris Mayes.Â
