Category: The West

Week Four of the Disbarment Trial of Trump’s Attorney John Eastman Brings Out Reasons Judges Dismissed Election Cases

Rachel Alexander
John Eastman

The fourth week of the disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s attorney John Eastman resumed on Tuesday, with State Bar of California attorney Duncan Carling continuing his cross-examination of the constitutional scholar.  The bar is trying to take away his license to practice law due to advising Trump that Vice President Mike Pence may have had the authority to reject electoral slates from states suspected of election fraud.

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Moms for Liberty to Hold Arizona Town Hall Next Week with Four State Legislators, Superintendent Tom Horne

Tom Pappert

Parental rights advocacy group Moms for Liberty announced a public town hall event in Mesa, Arizona, on September 14, with confirmed attendees including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, four Republican state legislators, Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich, and award-winning musician and actress Mary Millben.

Described as an “honest discussion on the state of education and parental rights in Arizona,” Moms for Liberty revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson), State Representative Justin Heap (R-Mesa), and State Representative Barbara Parker (R-Mesa) are also scheduled to attend as members of a panel.

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Arizona State University Psychology Professor Teaches That ‘White Guilt’ Can Be Used to Transform Students into Social Justice Activists

Rachel Alexander

Dr. Lisa B. Spanierman, a faculty member in the psychology department of Arizona State University, teaches that “white guilt” can be used to coerce students into social justice activism. The counseling and counseling psychology professor, and associate dean for academic personnel and faculty success in ASU’s College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, is developing a reputation for pushing this in higher education.

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Tennessee Congressman Rose Leads Push to Hold Mayorkas Accountable for Uzbekistan Nationals Smuggled into the U.S. Through Mexico

Hannah Poling

U.S. Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06) is leading a group of U.S. House Republicans demanding that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas keep Congress updated while the government searches for illegal immigrants from Uzbekistan who allegedly crossed the Mexican border into the U.S through a global trafficking network.

This follows the National Security Council (NSC) confirming to Fox News last week that U.S. officials are aware of “a human smuggling network working to facilitate the travel of Uzbekistan nationals to the United States.”

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Biden Releases New Arizona Ad Touting ‘Manufacturing Boom’ Despite Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Delay

Tom Pappert

President Joe Biden launched a new ad in Arizona on Labor Day touting a “manufacturing boom” as part of a $25 million advertising campaign in battleground states, even after the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) recently delayed its new Phoenix microchip plant claiming the state lacks skilled talent.

The 30-second ad features Phoenix resident Bill Ruiz, according to The Hill, who brags that “we’re building some of the biggest tech factories in the world right here” in Arizona, and specifically lists new semiconductor factories as an example, ultimately crediting “the laws that Joe Biden got passed” for making their construction possible.

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Arizona GOP Says There Will Be No Change in Administration of 2024 GOP Presidential Primary Election

Michael Patrick Leahy

Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit promised that the Arizona GOP Executive Committee will hold a vote on a resolution to withdraw the Arizona GOP from a government-run 2024 Presidential Preference Election.

The Presidential Preference Election (PPE) is an election in which voters can choose who they would like to be their presidential candidate in the upcoming General Election. Party winners of the Arizona PPE are officially determined at the party’s national convention.

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Most Arizona Voters Now Registered Independent, Unable to Vote in Presidential Preference Election

Tom Pappert

More Arizona voters have continued to change their party affiliation to independent, making it the state’s largest voting bloc. This means more than 1.4 million voters will be unable to cast a ballot in the state’s 2024 presidential primary contests.

The Arizona Secretary of State released new data this month dating from July 2023, revealing that 1,450,697 Arizonans, or 34.55 percent of the state’s voters, are now registered independent.

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Elections Expert Gina Swoboda Discusses Maricopa County Officials’ Missteps in the 2022 Election

Rachel Alexander

Gina Swoboda, executive director of Phoenix-based Voter Reference Foundation (VRF) discussed election problems and what to do about them recently on the Jenny Beth Show. Jenny Beth Martin was an early leader in the Tea Party movement as co-founder of Tea Party Patriots. In this third part of a three-part series from the interview, Swoboda delved deeper into the problems that occurred during the 2022 election, many which were caused or exacerbated by election officials, and the hurdles to fixing them.

She observed that switching from precinct voting to vote centers did not increase turnout as election officials claimed it would, which they did in order to convince voters the switch would be beneficial. Republican legislators ran bills that would have made precinct voting easier, she said, like holding voting on a school holiday so the schools could be used as voting locations, but the bills were unsuccessful. 

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Scottsdale Short-Term Rental Restriction Proposals Gain Powerful Ally

The Center Square

Scottsdale, Arizona, officials have enlisted one of the state’s most powerful advocacy organizations in proposing numerous changes to crack down on short term rental properties.

Scottsdale, which is popular for tourism, is pushing for three changes at the state level backed by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns 2024 Legislative Agenda. The organization, headed by Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls, represents the state’s municipalities in lobbying for changes at the state level.

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Blake Masters to Enter U.S. Senate Race, Will Face Kari Lake and Sheriff Mark Lamb in GOP Primary

Rachel Alexander

According to The Wall Street Journal, Blake Masters is about to announce a run for the U.S. Senate, potentially as soon as next week. Masters lost the Arizona senate race last year to incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Kelly and will join a Republican primary field that includes Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb. Kari Lake is expected to announce her run in October. Incumbent Kyrsten Sinema, who switched her party registration from Democrat to Independent and is now seen as vulnerable, has not announced whether she is running for re-election. State Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) is widely expected to obtain the Democratic nomination, challenging her from the Left.

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State Senator Calls for Arizona Board of Regents to Investigate Arizona State University Athletic Director

Hannah Poling

Arizona Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-Florence) this week called on the Arizona Board of Regents to investigate Arizona State University (ASU) Athletic Director Ray Anderson for the “raft of improprieties and frankly embarrassing issues” that have occurred under his tenure.

In a letter sent to the board of regents, the agency that oversees state universities, Shope details that Anderson’s actions have troubled him for some time now, so he is calling on the board to investigate these actions and possibly hold someone accountable.

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110,000 Pima County Residents’ Personal Data Exposed After Hackers Breach COVID-19 Contact Tracing Firm

Tom Pappert

Russian hackers accessed the personal information of 110,000 residents of Pima County, Arizona whose data was held by Maximus Health Services, who was contracted by the county for contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government contracting giant acknowledged between 8 and 11 million people had their information breached by hackers in a July filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and this week confirmed about 110,000 Pima County residents were affected, according to KJZZ, which added that the county “contracted with Maximus” for contact tracing during the pandemic.

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State Representative Promises New COVID-19 Mask Mandates ‘Won’t Be Happening in Arizona’ Thanks to GOP-Backed Laws

Tom Pappert

As national media outlets warn of a new wave of COVID-19 and suggest pandemic-era responses, State Representative Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale) highlighted two Arizona laws that will prohibit face mask mandates in businesses and schools.

In a press release from the Arizona House of Representatives, the legislator noted that CNN, CBS, and The Washington Times have published articles that either encourage or note “the return of mask mandates” across the country. Chaplik added, “The good news is that mandates won’t be happening here in Arizona.”

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Arizona Free Enterprise Club Gives 17 Arizona State Politicians 100 Percent Ratings in Its 2023 Scorecard

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) issued its annual ratings of legislators this month, with four state senators and 13 state representatives receiving perfect scores. The scorecard analyzed 25 bills in the House and 30 in the Senate during the 2023 session that addressed priority issues for AFEC. Many legislators scored well since “[f]or most of the legislative session, the caucuses in the House and Senate were unified, and there was less bad policy that made it onto the floor for a vote in either chamber.”

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Arizona State Representative Wants Arizona Department of Transportation to Fix Third-Party Service Providers

Hannah Poling

Arizona State Representative and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman David Cook (R-Globe) urged the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to take immediate corrective action to address critical public safety risks.

This follows a new Arizona Department of Transportation performance audit conducted by the Arizona Auditor General, finding alarming issues with Motor Vehicle Divisions’ (MVD) oversight of third-party service providers.

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Jury Selection Begins in Backpage Prostitution Trial of Former Phoenix New Times Owner

Rachel Alexander

A victim who was 14 when she was sex trafficked through the now-defunct website backpage.com is helping bring the site operators to justice. Testimony from Eryka Brewster, now 24, helped lead to a conviction of the former site’s CEO, Carl Ferrer, her pimp, and the ongoing prosecution against one of the site’s co-owners, Michael Lacey. Co-owner Jim Larkin, who was also being prosecuted, killed himself on August 1. Lacey and Larkin owned the Phoenix New Times for years, known for its scathing attacks on conservative Republicans.

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Feds to Drop Shipping Container Border Wall Lawsuit After $2.1 Million Payment from Arizona Taxpayers

Tom Pappert

A lawsuit launched by the Department of Justice against Arizona over a makeshift border wall made of shipping containers is set to be dismissed following a final payment of $2.1 million from the state to the U.S. Forest Service, even after Governor Katie Hobbs (D) dismantled the barrier and put the containers up for sale.

The shipping container wall was constructed under former Governor Doug Ducey (R), whose administration argued the hastily constructed barrier was necessary until the Biden administration resumed construction on the southern border wall started by former President Donald Trump. A lawsuit was launched by the federal government just weeks before Hobbs took office.

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Maricopa County GOP Demands Arizona GOP Withdraw from a Government-Run 2024 Arizona Presidential Preference Election

Hannah Poling

The Maricopa County Republican Committee Executive Guidance Committee (MCRC EGC) demanded on Saturday that Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit withdraw the Arizona GOP from a government-run 2024 Arizona Presidential Preference Election by Friday.

The Presidential Preference Election (PPE) is an election in which voters can choose who they would like to be their presidential candidate in the upcoming General Election. Party winners of the Arizona PPE are officially determined at the party’s national convention.

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Arizona House Republicans Call on Governor and Attorney General to Protect the State’s Southern Border

Hannah Poling

All 31 members of the Arizona House Republican Majority Caucus signed a letter calling on Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes to take executive action to protect Arizona from the crisis occurring at the state’s southern border.

This follows reports from last week where officials from the Biden administration inexplicably welded open 114 massive gates along the Arizona border allowing tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to flood into the U.S.

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Audit Finds Unqualified Arizonans Received Driver Licenses, Including at Least One Foreign National

Tom Pappert

A new report from the Arizona Auditor General reveals that private companies authorized by the state’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) have issued credentials or documents to people who were unqualified, including at least one foreign national.

The Auditor General warned that “consistently” allowing vehicle titles, driver licenses, and identification cards to unauthorized individuals or entities will increase numbers of “unsafe drivers, vehicle and identity theft, fraud, and terrorism.”

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Former State Elections Director Under Hobbs Testifies at Disbarment Trial of Trump’s Attorney John Eastman

Rachel Alexander

The disbarment trial of Trump’s attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman resumed this past week on Thursday and Friday, and continues next on Tuesday, September 5. On Friday, Eastman’s attorney Randy Miller cross-examined the State Bar of California’s expert witness Matthew Seligman, an election fraud denier and attorney who serves as a  fellow at the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, and former Secretary of State Elections Director Bo Dul also testified.

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, posted on X regarding the proceedings, “Kangaroo court proceedings in California to disbar John Eastman, one of the nation’s leading constitutional lawyers, for daring to provide legal advice on the Biden election controversy.”

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Speaker Toma Promises Arizona GOP Will Protect ESA Program Because ‘Parents Want Choice’

Tom Pappert

Arizona state House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Peoria) promised Republicans in the legislature will not relent in the partisan fight over Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), even as Governor Katie Hobbs and Arizona Democrats claim the growing school choice initiative is draining the state budget.

Toma said critics of the ESA program are “disingenuous” in their claims for political reasons, asserting that Republicans instead believe it is “the state’s responsibility” to provide education for all children, and “[p]arents want choice” in the matter, during a Friday interview with Arizona Capitol Times.

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Arizona State Senator Says Governor Hobbs and Attorney General Mayes Should Stay Out of Kroger and Albertson Merger

Hannah Poling

An Arizona Republican senator said this week that Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes should stay out of a proposed merger of the state’s two largest grocery chains as they “know very little” about the grocery industry.

Hobbs said on Wednesday that the proposed merger of Kroger Co., the parent company of Smith’s and Fry’s Foods, and Albertsons Companies, which not only runs stores under its name but also acquired Safeway and all of the stores that the company owned in 2015, may have some negative effects on Arizona.

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Arizona Supreme Court to Review Abortion Laws

The Center Square

The Arizona Supreme Court will review the state’s abortion laws, which puts both the currently enforced 15-week ban and a more restrictive 1864 territorial ban back in play.

A state appeals court previously ruled in December in the case of Planned Parenthood v. Mayes that the 15-week ban that was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey would take over state law, and Mayes said it’s preferable to the alternative.

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State Senator Reminds Arizonans of Safeguards Enacted to Protect Against Mask Mandates

Hannah Poling

Arizona State senator and registered nurse Janae Shamp (R-Suprise) reminded Arizonans this week of safeguards put in place by Republicans at the legislature to protect against any effort by the federal government to reinstate COVID-19 mask mandates.

This follows movie studio Lionsgate in Santa Monica, Rutgers University in New Jersey, Georgetown University in Washington DC, and Morris Brown College in Atlanta announcing they are reinstating mask mandates due to reported COVID-19 cases.

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State Representative Announces Arizona Will Not Enforce Taxpayer-Funded Homeless Hotel Plan

Hannah Poling

Arizona State Representative Matt Gress (R-Scottsdale) announced Wednesday that the Arizona Department of Housing will not enforce a provision in its contract with the City of Scottsdale that allows the city to pay for hotels for homeless people.

Scottsdale tried to utilize state funds to pay a hotel along Pima and Indian Bend Roads to house homeless persons from “the zone” in downtown Phoenix and foreign nationals who would have otherwise been kicked out under Title 42, which President Joe Biden allowed to expire in May.

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Snapchat Used by Human Smugglers to Ensnare Arizonans in Illegal Immigration Schemes: Justice Department

Tom Pappert

The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged more than 20 individuals with using social media to entice Arizonans to participate in illegal human smuggling on Tuesday. The Justice Department highlighted an example of criminals using Snapchat, the multimedia instant messaging app, to promise to pay for Arizonans to help smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona filed 13 indictments containing 22 charges of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit against 22 individuals, alleging the smugglers “utilized social media, including Snapchat, to recruit” people in Arizona, before then generally switching to messaging applications like WhatsApp “to coordinate the logistics” of the crimes.

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Cochise County Supervisor Sues Arizona Officials over 2022 Election, Requests Decertification or Other Major Remedies

Rachel Alexander

Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby, who attempted to conduct a hand count of ballots during the 2022 election and delayed the certification of election results, filed a lawsuit with another Arizonan, David Mast, against numerous Arizona officials challenging the results of the election. The lawsuit cited lawbreaking regarding signature verification on mail-in ballots, asserting that the violations resulted in “hundreds of thousands of illegal votes in all statewide results for the 2022 General Election.”

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Senators Kelly, Sinema Want Answers After Arizona Gets Three Percent of Federal Migrant Funding They Helped Pass

Tom Pappert

Arizona Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Kristen Sinema (I-AZ) have asked for answers from three federal agencies after the state received just $23.9 million of more than $800 million in funding they helped secure to fund private organizations that house illegal immigrants released into the United States after being encountered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during their transit across the border.

In a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the heads of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the senators warned that Pima County may be unable to support the influx of migrants in April 2024. They noted that New York City received over four times more funding than Arizona.

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Arizona State University Joins Kari Lake’s Motion to Dismiss Stephen Richer’s Defamation Complaint Against Her

Rachel Alexander

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer filed a defamation lawsuit in June against Kari Lake on June 22 over her statements alleging election fraud in Maricopa County, and now ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law  First Amendment Clinic is joining Lake in her defense. The clinic co-authored a motion to dismiss with Lake’s attorneys, which was filed on August 21. 

Jennifer Wright, one of Lake’s attorneys who previously served as the Election Integrity Unit civil attorney for the Attorney General’s Office, said in a statement provided to The Arizona Sun Times, “In 2022, the legislature strengthened laws protecting the rights of citizens to speak freely on matters of public concern. Richer’s lawsuit is precisely the kind of abuse of the legal system the law was designed to stop. I have every confidence the court will agree, and dismiss the lawsuit.” 

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Moms for America Launches Resource for Arizonans to Better Defend Their Parental Rights

Hannah Poling

A conservative education advocacy organization has launched a new online resource to connect, educate, and mobilize moms across Arizona to protect their parental rights and become more effective advocates for their children.

Moms for America, a national, non-profit 501c3 educational corporation, announced the launch of its new online resource for mothers, Moms for Arizona, designed to provide moms with the information and resources necessary to defend their rights and stand up for their children’s well-being.
Moms for America, a national, non-profit 501c3 educational corporation, announced the launch of its new online resource for mothers, Moms for Arizona, designed to provide moms with the information and resources necessary to defend their rights and stand up for their children’s well-being.

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Illegal Immigrant Crossings on the Arizona Border Increase

ADN America

The number of apprehensions of undocumented immigrants by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the US-Mexico border increased between June and July, according to new data released by the agency on Friday.

The number of migrant encounters along the southern border in July increased to 132,652 from 99,545 crossings in June. According to officials, the month-over-month increase was due to the large number of families crossing the border, which nearly doubled between the two months and led to 60,161 arrests. Almost 40% of migrant families came from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

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AFEC Warns Arizona Secretary of State ‘Snark Doesn’t Get the Job Done’ in Dispute Over Voter Rolls

Tom Pappert

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) warned Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) it will bring a federal lawsuit against him over his alleged failure to maintain accurate voter lists in Arizona. AFEC gave the state until November 6 to rectify these issues, or else the non-profit will launch a federal lawsuit against Fontes.

In a report stating there are more registered voters than residents, or an “abnormally high” number of registered voters, in 14 of Arizona’s 15 counties, AFEC said it sent its letter to Fontes on August 8, urging him to “take his job as Secretary of State seriously” or face legal action.

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Arizona State Representatives Request Investigation into Transfer of Unclaimed Firearms to Ukraine

Hannah Poling

Two Arizona Republican State Representatives have filed an SB 1487 complaint with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes requesting an investigation and report into an ordinance the City of Phoenix passed in June authorizing the transfer of hundreds of unclaimed firearms to the National Police of Ukraine.

The National Police of Ukraine is the national, and only, police service of Ukraine.

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Election Expert Gina Swoboda Discusses Arizona’s Problems with Voter Rolls

Rachel Alexander

Gina Swoboda, executive director of the Voter Reference Foundation (VRF), which is headquartered in Phoenix, discussed election problems and what to do about them recently on the Jenny Beth Show. Jenny Beth Martin was an early leader in the Tea Party movement as co-founder of Tea Party Patriots. In this first part of a three-part series from the interview, Swoboda explained how VRF’s websites can be used to look through voter registrations and spot problems with the voter rolls. 

Swoboda, who is also a Vice Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party and previously worked for the secretary of state’s office, told Martin, “The entire security of the election depends upon that list being accurate.” 

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Conservative Firebrand Kari Lake Plans to Serve as a Surrogate for Trump at Wednesday’s GOP Presidential Candidates’ Debate

M.D. Kittle

Arizona Republican Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will be in attendance at Wednesday’s first Republican presidential candidates’ debate in Milwaukee, and she plans to speak up for an absent former President Donald Trump.

Lake, a close Trump ally, tells The Star News Network that she will do everything in her power to return the former president to the White House.

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Arizona State Senator Criticizes Governor Hobbs for Declaring Heat Emergency ‘Too Late’

Hannah Poling

An Arizona Republican Senator criticized Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs over the weekend for her lack of making a real difference for Arizona citizens as Governor by making a “too late” declaration of an extreme heat state of emergency.

State Senator Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) says that Hobbs’ emergency heat declaration is nothing more than a too-late publicity stunt.

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President of Arizona Free Enterprise Club Threatens Lawsuit Against Secretary of State Over Voter Rolls With More Registered Voters Than Adults

Rachel Alexander

Attorneys for Scot Mussi, the president of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, sent Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes a letter earlier this month threatening litigation if Fontes did not clean up the state’s voter rolls. Attorneys Jason Torchinsky and Dallin Holt of Holtzman Vogel said they “determined that at least four counties have more registered voters than adult citizens over the age of 18.” Apache County had the highest, with 117.4 percent, and Maricopa County was close to 100 percent with 97.8 percent.

The attorneys warned, “This letter provides statutory notice that Scot Mussi, acting as a registered Arizona voter with a substantial interest in secure elections, will bring a lawsuit against you and, if appropriate, against the counties named in this letter, if you fail to take specific actions to correct these violations of Section 8 within the 90-day timeframe specified in federal law.” In anticipation of the litigation, the letter asked Fontes and the 14 counties to “take steps to preserve documents.” 

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Authorities Seize Nearly 100,000 Fentanyl Pills, Enough Powder to Kill More than 5 Million People in Two Arizona Busts

Tom Pappert

Federal and local authorities in the Phoenix area have seized nearly 100,000 fentanyl pills and more than 20 pounds of fentanyl powder in just two law enforcement actions. This quantity of the Schedule II drug could potentially cause more than 5 million fatal overdoses.

On August 10, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), working with local Arizona police, reportedly apprehended three men attempting to sell 50,000 fentanyl pills in the Phoenix area, according to Border Report. Only days later, on August 17, Gila County law enforcement reported seizing 49,500 fentanyl pills and 22.88 pounds of fentanyl powder during a traffic stop in Payson on the previous day. Payson is about 90 minutes away of Phoenix.

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Arizona State University Course Using Taylor Swift to Teach Social Psychology

The Center Square

A new Arizona State University course is using Taylor Swift to show social psychology phenomena starting this fall semester. 

The class is called “Psychology of Taylor Swift – Advanced Topics of Social Psychology” but it won’t be a fan-club meeting for Swift, according to Alexandra Wormley, a PhD student in the psychology department who is teaching the class.

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Latest Round of Legal Filings in Abe Hamadeh’s Election Challenge Pick Apart Arizona AG Kris Mayes’ 280-Vote Lead

Rachel Alexander

Abe Hamadeh is forging ahead, challenging his 280-vote loss to Democrat Kris Mayes in the attorney general’s race, the closest statewide race in Arizona’s history. He is in the midst of challenging the trial court’s refusal to grant him a new trial after discovering that then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs withheld evidence from him prior to his trial regarding undervotes, votes that were not counted that resulted in narrowing Mayes’ lead. On Wednesday, he filed a reply to Mayes’ objections simultaneously with two amicus curiae briefs in support; one from Arizona legislative leadership and one from the America First Legal Foundation.

Hamadeh’s reply brief, primarily authored by Jennifer Wright, who previously served as the Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit civil attorney, pointed out various contradictions in Mayes’ response. Mayes claimed that Hamadeh was “both too fast and too slow in attempting to obtain relief in this Court,” the brief stated. On the one hand, Mayes claimed that Hamadeh was causing “unreasonable delay,” yet she still asked for a regular appeals process, not a speedy one. 

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Arizona Secretary of State Fontes Will Publish Public Comments on 2023 Elections Procedures Manual

Hannah Poling

A spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told The Arizona Sun Times that the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office will publish all public comments on the 2023 Election Procedure Manual on the website after a review of comments has been completed.

“The comments will be made public after staff has a chance to review. Once that review is complete, it will be posted on the Secretary of State’s website,” the spokesperson told The Sun Times.

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Arizona Could Be the Next State to Indict Trump, Others

Rachel Alexander

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by grand juries in Washington, D.C. and Georgia over his efforts to challenge election fraud after the 2020 election, and an indictment in Arizona may be next.

As concerns spread that Arizona could soon indict Trump, Arizona Republican Party Chair Jeff DeWit denounced recent news that Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs urged Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes to charge Trump.

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Arizona Education Superintendent Tom Horne Advises Schools to Not Permit Biological Males in Biological Females Restrooms

Hannah Poling

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) released a statement on Thursday “strongly advising” all schools statewide not to enact policies that permit biological males from using biological females’ restrooms, locker rooms, and showers.

According to Horne (pictured above), his statement was prompted by recent questions and concerns from outraged parents about school policies permitting biological males to use biological females’ restroom facilities, saying they may remove their children from schools that allow this in Arizona.

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Hamadeh Vows He ‘Won’t Stop Fighting’ as Top Arizona Republicans, America First Legal Rally Behind Election Challenge

Tom Pappert

Leading Republicans in the Arizona Legislature, alongside America First Legal (AFL), lodged amicus briefs on Wednesday, throwing their support behind Abraham Hamadeh’s petition to the Arizona Supreme Court for a retrial of his 2022 election contest. Hamadeh is petitioning for a fresh trial citing newly surfaced evidence, purportedly dubious rulings from the presiding Mohave County judge, and an effort to stave off protracted legal disputes over his election that could last well into 2024.

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma filed an amicus brief in support of Hamadeh on the same day AFL filed its own. Hamadeh, whose race against Attorney General Kris Mayes was the closest in Arizona history with only 280 votes now stand between the candidates, celebrated the development.

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Arizona Public School Funding per Student to Hit Record Level

The Center Square

New numbers from the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee paint a clearer picture in the ongoing debate on school choice and funding for public education.

When funding at the state, local and federal levels are combined, the average Arizona K-12 student has an estimated $14,673 allocated toward them in fiscal year 2024. This reflects a steady increase from fiscal year 2015, which was $9,124.

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