Tag: Arizona attorney general

Two Legislators Request Attorney General Investigate ‘Disturbing Allegations’ in Pima County’s 2024 Election

Rachel Alexander
State Representatives Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande) and Rachel Jones (R-Tucson)

State Representatives Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande) and Rachel Jones (R-Tucson) sent a letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes last week requesting an investigation into three election problems in Pima County’s 2024 general election. They included two letters Jones and other legislators sent to Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly previously inquiring about “disturbing allegations” that her office encouraged convicted felons to vote, and how the office handled undeliverable ballots. Cazares-Kelly never responded to either letter. 

The Arizona Sun Times reached out to Martinez and Jones for comment. Both said they had not heard back yet from Mayes’ office, but would give her another week before pressing the matter. They will be putting in their own public records requests to Cazares-Kelly next week. Cazares-Kelly’s personal X account bio states that she is “dismantling white supremacy” and goes by the pronouns “She/Her.”

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Two State Legislators Challenge Sedona’s Ordinance Banning Firearms on ‘Any Trail or Open Space Area’

Rachel Alexander

State Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-Prescott) and State Rep. Selina Bliss (R-Prescott) are challenging an ordinance in Sedona which bans firearms on “any trail or open space area.” The legislators believe the law infringes on the right to keep and bear arms, since Arizona has some of the most Second Amendment-friendly laws in the country. They submitted a request to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to investigate, known as an SB 1487 request for investigation, which prompted Sedona city officials to put it on the agenda for the December 10 city council meeting. 

Nguyen, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and has held positions with the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Club, said in a joint statement with Bliss after submitting the 1487 request, “I urge the City of Sedona to review Ordinance 12.30.090 to ensure it complies with Arizona law. It’s important that local ordinances do not infringe upon the constitutional rights of Arizonans or conflict with state statutes.”

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Cooling Woes at Apartment Complex Spur Demand from Arizona Attorney General

The Center Square

An apartment management company is under fire for seemingly leaving residents out to dry amid scorching summer heat.

Attorney General Kris Mayes sent Buenas Communities LLC a cease and desist over one of their buildings allegedly failing to solve the cooling issues for roughly 400 units at Buenas on 32nd. Mayes is giving them a deadline of Friday at 5 p.m. to fix the problems.

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Arizona Republican Leaders Submit Brief Defending Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby from AG Kris Mayes’ Prosecution over 2022 Election Integrity Efforts

Rachel Alexander
Warren Petersen Ben Toma

State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Mesa) and Speaker of the House Ben Toma (R-Peoria) filed a Motion for Leave to File Brief as Amicus Curiae in the prosecution of Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby on March 8.

Crosby, along with Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd, was indicted by a grand jury in November 2023 for briefly delaying canvassing of the 2022 election in order to investigate the laws that were broken. Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes charged them with the class 5 felonies of Interference With an Election Officer—even though they were in part administering elections themselves as officials—and conspiracy since they both voted together to delay the canvassing.

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Abe Hamadeh Files Response to Arizona Election Officials’ Motions to Dismiss His Quo Warranto Action to Remove Kris Mayes from Office

Rachel Alexander
Abe Hamadeh

Abe Hamadeh continues his election litigation challenging his 280-vote loss to Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes, including filing a Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto to remove Mayes from office. This past week, he filed a response to the Arizona officials’ Motions to Dismiss that lawsuit.

Represented by Ryan Heath of Heath Law, Hamadeh laid out the status of the case in the opening of his 43-page Response. “Respondent Kris Mays, Defendant Fontes, and the Maricopa County Defendants seek to deny Petitioner and many other voters their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Arizona Constitution for the sake of expediency,” he said. “The Maricopa County Defendants also seek to avoid accountability for their failures, which plausibly resulted in thousands (and likely hundreds of thousands) of illegal votes affecting the results of the 2022 General Election for the office of Attorney General (the ‘Contested Race’). Due to Maricopa County officials’ lack of candor, the circumstances permitting Petitioner to bring this action were not known — and could not have been known — until more than half a year after the official canvass was taken for the Contested Race.’

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Arizona AG Announces Fentanyl Seizures as Border Crisis Rages On

The Center Square
Arizona Fentanyl

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said Thursday that 525,000 illegal fentanyl pills were seized by the government.

“This operation is a significant step forward in our ongoing fight against criminal drug distribution in our state,” Mayes said in a statement. “The collaboration between my office and our local and federal law enforcement partners has been vital to our efforts at keeping this deadly drug off our streets. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law.” 

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Abe Hamadeh Files a Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto to Remove Attorney General Kris Mayes from Office

Rachel Alexander

Republican Abe Hamadeh, who is still contesting his election loss to Democrat Kris Mayes in the attorney general’s race by 280 votes, filed a Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto & Writ of Mandamus Civil in Maricopa County Superior Court on December 28 asking to remove Mayes from office. He also asked to purge Maricopa County’s voter registration records of any “inappropriate signatures” from vote-by-mail affidavit envelopes, void its canvass in the attorney general’s race, and either order the county to redo signature verification from the election using voters’ signatures on their voter registration or order a new election.

Hamadeh posted on X, quoting his attorney Ryan Heath, “NEW LAWSUIT FILED. Arizonans deserve JUSTICE. My legal team has filed a writ of quo warranto to remove Kris Mayes from office. ‘Kris Mayes, has usurped, intruded into or unlawfully holds or exercises the public office of Arizona’s Attorney General.’ – @Ryan_L_Heath”

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Maricopa County GOP Passes Unanimous Resolution Calling for Impeachment of Arizona AG Kris Mayes Over Prosecution Lawfare, Hostility to Election Integrity

Rachel Alexander

The Maricopa County Republican Committee (MCRC) unanimously passed a resolution on December 5 calling on the Arizona House of Representatives to impeach Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes. The resolution cited Mayes’ record opposing election integrity, notably her prosecution of two Cochise County Supervisors over delaying the certification of the 2022 election for three days.

The MCRC executive board and all legislative district chairs voted for the resolution, which began, “WHEREAS, We, the Executive Guidance Committee of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, condemn Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ illegitimate political prosecution of the brave elected officials of Cochise County, Peggy Judd and Tom Crosby, for acting in accordance with their oath of office.” It accused Mayes of “abusing her prosecutorial powers as the Arizona Attorney General,” by engaging in “an act of political prosecution common in dictatorships or communist countries.”

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Trump Endorses Hamadeh in Heated Arizona Congressional Race

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by Cameron Arcand   Former President Donald Trump endorsed former Republican Arizona Attorney General nominee Abe Hamadeh in the competitive primary race to replace Rep. Debbie Lesko. The endorsement is notable because former Senate nominee Blake Masters is also in the race, and he was also endorsed like Hamadeh was in their losing 2022 bids. In a post on Trump’s social media platform “Truth Social” explaining his decision to give his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to Hamadeh. “Abe Hamadeh is a veteran, a former prosecutor and fearless fighter for our elections,” Trump posted. “He will be a true WARRIOR in Congress, and always put America First!” “He knows that if the flame of freedom is extinguished, it may never come back again,” the former president added. The congressional candidate welcomed the endorsement. “Thank you Mr. President, I can’t wait to fight alongside you to restore the America we love,” Hamadeh posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. 🚨🚨BREAKING🚨🚨 Thank you Mr. President, I can’t wait to fight alongside you to restore the America we love. “President Donald Trump endorses Abe Hamadeh for Congress” pic.twitter.com/U9e0lVG53b — Abe Hamadeh (@AbrahamHamadeh) December 8, 2023 Hamadeh and Masters ran as a ticket with former gubernatorial…

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Trump Endorses ‘WARRIOR’ Abe Hamadeh for Congress

Just the News

Former President Donald Trump on Friday issued his endorsement to Republican congressional candidate Abe Hamadeh, handing the former Arizona Attorney General candidate a likely boost in a contested GOP primary that also includes former Arizona GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters.

“Abe Hamadeh is a veteran, a former prosecutor and fearless fighter for our elections. He will be a true WARRIOR in Congress, and always put America First! As everyone knows, Abe fought for our Country overseas, and knows that the American people are demanding the kind of bold leadership that ushered in peace and prosperity just three years ago,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

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Judge Denies Abe Hamadeh’s Request for a New Trial, Says Only ‘Six Votes’ Would Have Been Different

Rachel Alexander

Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee F. Jantzen denied Abe Hamadeh’s request for a new trial in his election contest over the attorney general’s race on Friday, issuing his opinion with the reasoning on Monday. He said “the evidence showed that only about six votes difference would have been found after reviewing the numerous undercounted ballots.”

Hamadeh issued a statement shortly afterwards, “The court’s ruling is an invitation to an appeal, and we will do just that.” He added in a tweet, “I have every confidence that the (Arizona) Supreme Court is not going to let this precedent stand. It would be a terrible precedent in terms of the legal community to have the government be able to withhold evidence & get away with it.”

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Arizona AG Kris Mayes’ Chief of Staff Resigns After First Six Months

Rachel Alexander

Amy Love, Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes’ chief of staff, resigned on Monday, just six months into Mayes’ term. Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs’ first six months have been full of even more turmoil, with multiple high-level staffers leaving within the first six months.

Mayes titled the press release announcing Love’s resignation, “Attorney General Mayes Announces Leadership Change.” It stated briefly, “Attorney General Kris Mayes today announced the resignation of Chief of Staff Amy Love. Ms. Love’s final day with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office will be August 7, 2023. Amy Love is an exceptional public servant, and I thank her for her service to the Attorney General’s Office and the State of Arizona,” said Attorney General Mayes. “I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

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Former Arizona Election Attorney Starts Process to Sue Kris Mayes for Defamation, Demands $2 Million

Rachel Alexander

Jennifer Wright, who served as the Election Integrity Unit (EIU) civil attorney under Attorney General Mark Brnovich, started the process this past week to sue current Attorney General Kris Mayes for defamation by filing a Notice of Claim. Someone from Mayes’ office told the media that Wright was fired or forced to resign, but Wright has produced evidence showing she resigned voluntarily. It is common when a new administration from a different political party takes over an office to fire high-level appointees from the previous administration.

“Over the past few years, I’ve become jaded by people in positions of power abusing that power for partisan gain & further subjugation of the American people,” Wright tweeted. “On 1/5/23 I was shocked when an outright lie was propagated by Arizona’s Chief Legal Officer, @krismayes, about me.”

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Senate President Pro Tempore Says Governor Hobbs Is ‘Out of Touch’ with Arizonans on LGBTQ Executive Orders

Hannah Poling

Arizona Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-Florance) said that Governor Katie Hobbs’ recent executive orders to provide insurance-covered sex change procedures and ban so-called “conversion therapy” are “out of touch” with the desires of the majority of Arizonans.

Last week, Governor Hobbs signed two executive orders one to require state employee health care plans to cover sex change surgeries and another to ban state agencies from funding, promoting, or supporting so-called “conversion therapy” for minors.

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Provisional Ballots May Flip Arizona Attorney General Race for Hamadeh: Analysis

Just the News

An analysis of uncounted provisional ballots shows the 2022 Arizona attorney general’s race may be called for GOP nominee Abe Hamadeh instead of the now-Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes.

Hamadeh is challenging the election in court, suing Mayes to ensure all votes were counted in their midterm election contest, which Hamadeh lost by just 280 votes, according to an automatic statewide recount.

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Former Arizona AG Attorney Asks State Supreme Court to Investigate AG Kris Mayes for Ethics Violations

Rachel Alexander

New Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a press release last month criticizing her predecessor, Republican Mark Brnovich, for disagreeing with two of his employees on whether there was election fraud in the 2020 midterm election. As a result of her press release, 17 people filed bar complaints against him, including Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Jennifer Wright, who served as the Arizona Attorney General Office’s (AGO) Election Integrity Unit (EIU) civil attorney, denounced Mayes for the move, and is asking the Arizona Supreme Court to look into whether Mayes violated ethics rules by releasing attorney-client privileged work to the public.

In a March 13 letter addressed to Justice Bill Montgomery as the chair of the Arizona Supreme Court’s Task Force on Ethics Rules Governing the State Attorney General, County Attorneys, and Other Public Lawyers, Wright referenced Mayes’ position on the task force, and said, “I encourage the Task Force to inquire as to what Rule of Professional Conduct Ms. Mayes relied upon to justify waiving her predecessor’s attorney-client privilege and publicly releasing privileged materials.”

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Abe Hamadeh and RNC File Reply Supporting Motion for a New Trial in Election Contest, ‘Closest Statewide Race in History’ Requires ‘Exacting Review’

Rachel Alexander

Abe Hamadeh’s election challenge for attorney general continues to wind its way through the court system, with his attorneys filing a reply in Mohave County Superior Court supporting their motion for a new trial on Monday. The Consolidated Reply in Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for a New Trial addressed the claims brought up in the response from defendant Kris Mayes, who was declared the winner in the race. The lawsuit, which included the Republican National Committee and Republican Jeanne Kentch of Mohave County as plaintiffs, was also filed against Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.

Hamadeh’s reply brief, led by former Attorney General Election Integrity Unit civil attorney Jen Wright, emphasized the race’s closeness as a reason for a do-over.

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Former Arizona AG Attorney Joins Abe Hamadeh’s Election Challenge Team Due to New AG ‘Targeting’ Her

Rachel Alexander

The former Election Integrity Unit civil attorney for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office is making it clear she does not believe the new Attorney General is rightfully in office. Jennifer Wright, who resigned before Democrat Kris Mayes took office — but who Mayes’ office claimed was fired to journalists, causing Wright to start the process for a libel lawsuit — has joined the legal team of Mayes’ opponent, Republican Abe Hamadeh, who is challenging the results of the extremely close election. 

Wright tweeted that she initially turned down Hamadeh’s offer, but changed her mind “after @krismayes targeted me by falsely and unlawfully planting a hit on me on @azcentral.” She said “it became clear that left unchecked, the new admin intended to abuse their power.” 

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New Arizona AG Kris Mayes Hires Colleague of Progressive Lawyer Marc Elias as Chief Deputy

Rachel Alexander

Arizona’s new Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes hired progressive attorney Dan Barr as her chief deputy, according to AZ Law and Barr’s LinkedIn profile. However, insiders say the longtime attorney for mainstream media did not resign from the Democratic firm Perkins Coie, where he worked with progressive attorney Marc Elias, until after he started in the position, which would be a conflict of interest, especially if he was involved with any litigation involving the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AAGO).

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Arizona AG Candidate Hamadeh’s Election Challenge Will Proceed to Trial

Just the News

Arizona Republican Attorney General candidate Abe Hamadeh’s election challenge will proceed to trial, after an Arizona judge denied Democratic Attorney General-elect Kris Mayes’ motion for dismissal.

In the Tuesday ruling, Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee F. Jantzen did dismiss five of Hamadeh’s counts, but allowed his other claims to proceed to an evidentiary hearing scheduled for Dec. 23. Presently Hamadeh trails Mayes by 511 votes.

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Affidavit Details Election Day Problems in Maricopa Far Wider than County Admitting

Just the News

Numerous issues plagued vote centers in Arizona’s Maricopa County on Election Day 2022, from ballots rejected by tabulators to hours-long lines for voting, according to affidavits filed with the Arizona attorney general’s office.

According to an affidavit report by Mark Sonnenklar, a roving attorney with the Republican National Committee’s Election Integrity program in Arizona, he and 10 other RNC roving attorneys reported their observations and those of Republican observers at vote centers on Election Day.

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Kari Lake Files Complaint Against Gov. Doug Ducey for Flying Her Opponent from a Joint Campaign Event in a Taxpayer-Funded Jet

Rachel Alexander

Trump-endorsed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has filed a complaint with Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich against Gov. Doug Ducey for using a state government helicopter to fly back from a campaign event with her opponent Karrin Taylor Robson after he hosted a campaign event with Robson. 

The complaint letter from Lake’s attorney Tim La Sota stated, “The state airplane is not a shuttle service that can be rented out by wealthy politicians when the private jet they normally use is unavailable. And the Governor has no power under the law to permit such effective rental agreements to those he favors politically. Surely after over a decade in public office he must know this.”

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New Poll Shows Kari Lake in Lead with the Primary Election Only Days Away

Neil Jones

Only days out from the Arizona Primary Election, a new poll from Arizona-based OH Predictive Insights (OHPI) shows leaders emerging in several GOP races across the state, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

“The inter-party battle of the GOP is about to hit its climax and the data indicates Lake is in a commanding position,” said Mike Noble, OHPI Chief of Research. “In these final weeks of the race, Lake’s campaign is like Katniss Everdeen – the girl on fire.”

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Polls Show Majority of Arizona GOP Voters Still Unsure in Several Races as August Primary Approaches

Neil Jones

As early voting for the August 2nd Arizona Primary Election is underway, OH Predictive Insights (OHPI) held a poll showing that many Arizona Republican Party (GOP) Voters remain unsure who they want to vote for in several races.

“The Governor and Senate primary is taking up much of the oxygen (and airtime) away from these down-ticket races,” said Mike Noble, OHPI Chief of Research. “With voters predominantly undecided in these races, their respective campaign efforts will be critical as they chase ballots, get out the vote, and spend their hard-earned campaign dollars leading up to Election Day.”

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Democratic Candidate for Arizona Attorney General Says She Will Not Prosecute Abortions

Neil Jones

The lone Democratic candidate for Arizona attorney general on Friday said she would not follow the state’s abortion laws if elected.

“I am the only candidate running for Arizona attorney general who is saying, even when Roe falls – and it’s probably going to fall this summer – we will not prosecute women or doctors in the state of Arizona for seeking an abortion or providing an abortion,” said Kris Mayes on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.

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Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Pulls Out of Leftward-Drifting National Association of Attorneys General

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona Sun Times reported last week on rumors that Arizona Attorney General (AG) Mark Brnovich might withdraw from the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) due to its leftward drift, and he did this week. He became the fifth state attorney general to leave NAAG over its left-leaning agenda, an exodus that began with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall last year, followed by the AGs of Texas, Missouri, and Montana last week. 
“We are hereby notifying you that the Arizona Attorney General’s Office had decided to withdraw its membership from NAAG,” Brnovich said in a letter to NAAG President and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. “The Association is supposed to function as a nonpartisan forum but the speakers and topics presented at recent NAAG meetings indicate otherwise. We believe NAAG must take immediate steps to remedy this partisan permeation.”

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At America Pack’s Arizona Attorney General GOP Primary Debate, None of the Candidates Sounded Like Moderates

Rachel Alexander

The grassroots patriotic group America Pack put on a debate for the Republican primary candidates for Arizona Attorney General Friday night, and of the five candidates who participated, none of them came across as moderates, to the pleasant surprise of the audience (Dawn Grove, who sounds very conservative, could not participate). The main issue championed by the five was border security, with election integrity a close second. 

Their agendas mainly mirrored that of current AG Mark Brnovich, who is now running for U.S. Senate. Brnovich has been one of the most proactive AGs in the country pushing back on the Biden administration, filing tens of lawsuits over election integrity, border security, and other areas of overreach or inaction. Endorsed by both Mark Levin and Sean Hannity, the candidates sounded like they were trying to out-conservative him.

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Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Announces Prosecutions After Reviewing Maricopa County Ballot Audit, as Kari Lake Calls to Decertify Election

Rachel Alexander
Mark Brnovich

The highly anticipated first report from Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s investigation into the results of the Maricopa County independent ballot audit are in, and includes criminal prosecutions. Addressed to Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott), who launched the independent audit, the letter referenced the work of his office’s Election Integrity Unit. Brnovich stated, “The EIU’s review has uncovered instances of election fraud by individuals who have been or will be prosecuted for various election crimes.” 

Leading gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who just called for the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona and Wisconsin to be reversed, told The Arizona Sun Times, “Today, Attorney General Brnovich confirmed what most of us have known since November 3rd, 2020: The election in Maricopa County was crooked and never should have been certified. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It’s an American issue. I look forward to seeing the prosecutions that the Attorney General has in store. It’s time for the perpetrators of this fraud to be held accountable for their actions.”

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Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Part of AG Coalition Demanding Ben & Jerry’s Stop Boycotting Israel

Rachel Alexander
Mark Brnovich

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and 11 other attorneys general sent a letter to Unilever and its subsidiary, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., demanding they reverse their decision to boycott Israel in refusing to sell Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“We must defend the laws of our states and oppose attempts by global corporations to engage in economic warfare against the State of Israel,” said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich in a statement.

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Two More Inmates in Pima County Indicted for Illegally Voting in Jail, Also Registered to Vote While There

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office announced that two more inmates from Pima County have been indicted for illegally voting from jail during the 2020 election. Michael Damian Herrera, 25, and Shadae Alexis Smith, 29, both of Tucson, were also indicted for false registration to vote. Both crimes are felonies.

Brnovich, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has made combating election fraud a high priority. 

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Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Prosecuting Felon Who Voted From Jail

Rachel Alexander

A state grand jury has indicted a 46-year-old felon for illegally voting while in jail. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that Manuel Aguirre of Sahuarita was indicted on one count of false registration and one count of illegal voting, both felonies. He voted during the 2020 election from the Pima County Jail. 

Aguirre falsely stated on his voter registration form that he had no felonies or that his rights had been restored. He has five felony convictions, including vehicular theft, criminal trespassing and weapons misconduct. 

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Arizona Attorney General Grills Biden Admin on Border Mismanagement

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Mark Brnovich

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich grilled the Biden administration over the mismanagement of the southern border, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation on Tuesday.

Brnovich asked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for a list of every official and agent who was “given the options of retirement or reassignment” since President Joe Biden took office, according to the letter. Brnovich was concerned that top DHS officials were forced out of their positions just as border officials encountered a record number of migrants illegally entering the U.S. at the southern border.

“At a time when we need them most, DHS seems to be purging qualified leaders who have attempted to uphold the rule of law,” Brnovich said. “These actions only lead to more chaos and further empower the cartels who now control both sides of the border.”

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Arizona Attorney General Condemns Biden Administration’s Warning Label on Constitution, Declaration

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Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich condemned the National Archives Records Association’s (NARA) decision to label documents with a “harmful language” alert.

Brnovich demanded that NARA immediately remove the warning labels from documents including the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, in a Sept. 10 letter to the agency first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The warning labels only serve to further divide Americans, the attorney general said.

“This is shameful action from the National Archives, and the misguided ‘alerts’ should be taken down immediately,” Brnovich wrote to U.S. Archivist David Ferriero. “There is nothing ‘harmful’ about our founding documents. These inspired writings governed the formation of our new country in the late 18th Century and provided the roadmap for it to grow into the greatest nation in history.”

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City of Phoenix Sues Arizona over New Laws on Police Review Boards and Broadening Attorney General’s Investigative Powers

Rachel Alexander

The City of Phoenix filed a lawsuit against the State of Arizona on Tuesday, contending that new legislation regulating police review boards and expanding the Attorney General’s powers of investigation violates the state constitution. HB 2893 requires that the members of police misconduct boards be partially composed of police officers, but the City set up its own review board a month before the legislation was passed which says police officers or former police officers shall not sit on its police review board. 

Similarly, the City objects to the qualifications laid out in the law for civilian review boards; the City merely wants non-City employees serving on it, but the legislation requires that board members have some training. And finally, the City objects to a provision which states that when requested by a legislator, the Attorney General may investigate laws or rules passed by lower levels of government that appear to violate state law, and withhold state funding if a violation is found. 

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Arizona Attorney General Seeks Injunction on Biden’s Order to End Border Wall Construction

Corinne Murdock

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is seeking an injunction on President Joe Biden’s executive order halting the border wall construction. Brnovich wants the Biden Administration to reverse their current border policies and refrain from any further action until they analyze the environmental impact of those policies per the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The attorney general’s office submitted the injunction request in an amended complaint. The original lawsuit, State of Arizona v. Mayorkas et al, argues that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal officials violated NEPA by not providing environmental impact statements or assessments when they halted construction of the border wall and permitted additional migrant entry by ending the “Remain in Mexico” policy. 

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Federal Judge Denies Arizona Attorney General’s Petition for Federal Government to Complete Deportations Within Required 90 Days

Corinne Murdock

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton denied Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s request to require timely deportations from federal authorities. Federal law states that authorities must deport illegal immigrants within 90 days.

In the ruling, issued last Wednesday, Bolton conceded that the law does require deportations within 90 days at first glance. However, Bolton explained that closer inspection of the law and history rendered its intent dubious.

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Arizona Attorney General Says He ‘Will Not Tolerate’ Biden Adminstration’s Plan to Go Door-to-Door for Unvaccinated Americans: ‘This Is a Severe Breach of Privacy’

Corinne Murdock
Attorney General Mark Brnovich

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich called President Joe Biden’s plan to go door-to-door encouraging COVID-19 vaccinations “alarming.” In a letter submitted to the president Tuesday, Brnovich told Biden that he wouldn’t tolerate breaches of privacy concerning Arizonans’ vaccination status.

“I, along with many Arizonans, was greatly alarmed by your White House indicating that it might be in possession of medical records revealing the contact information for Americans who have not been vaccinated,” wrote Brnovich. “If this is the case, this is a severe breach of privacy, and I will not tolerate such intrusions within Arizona.”

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Arizona State Representative Diego Rodriguez Announces Bid for Attorney General

Corinne Murdock
Diego Rodriguez

PHOENIX, Arizona – State Representative Diego Rodriguez (D-Phoenix) has joined the attorney general race. Rodriguez made the announcement as the Arizona House convened once more to discuss the budget. As The Arizona Sun Times reported this week, House Democrats staged a walkout on Tuesday in protest of the budget.

“For too long, corporate lobbyists have been the ones calling the shots in our AZ. It’s time working families have someone fighting for them,” wrote Rodriguez. “I’m running for Attorney General to bring integrity, accountability and compassion to our justice system.”

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