Author Archives: Arizona's Politics

Yes, Martha McSally is passionate when she speaks. The Republican Congresswoman’s passion came through in last night’s debate with fellow Rep. Kyrsten Sinema to help voters decide which should be Arizona’s next Senator. In the most memorable exchange – during and after the debate – McSally accused Sinema of committing treason against the United States.

However, it was 16 months ago this week that McSally (R-CD9) was just as passionately imploring herself and fellow elected officials (including the President) to “look within our hearts” to ensure that “we each need to do our part to ratchet this down.”

Arizona’s Politics wrote about her striking comments in the aftermath of the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, and posted the video of her dual interviews on Continue reading →

January Contreras, the Democratic candidate for Arizona Attorney General, is in New York tonight for a high dollar fundraiser headlined by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Contreras is one of four candidates being supported by the DAGA fundraiser, reportedly because she Democrats believe that current AG Mark Brnovich is vulnerable.

The ticket levels range from $1,000 to $25,000 for the event, and it presumably means that the Democratic Attorneys General Association will spend some money in Arizona in the closing weeks of the campaign.

A spokesperson for the Republican Attorneys General Association taunted Clinton, Contreras and the Democrats, suggesting that Contreras should ask the former Presidential candidate (etc) to campaign for her in Arizona.

DAGA and RAGA filed their 3rd quarter reports with the IRS yesterday, and the much better-funded GOP organization is greatly outspending their Democratic counterparts, $7.4M to $1.8M. (Arizona-based contributions to RAGA are well in six figures, while DAGA received a total $450 from two individuals. APS parent company Pinnacle West contributed another $100,000 to RAGA.)

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APS’ (Arizona Public Service’s) contributions to help re-elect Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich have now hit – or, exceeded – $150,000, Arizona’s Politics is reporting. The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) filed its third quarter report with the IRS last night, and indicated that APS parent Pinnacle West contributed another $100,000 on July 10.

Pinnacle West spent $425,000 in 2014 to benefit Brnovich’s first campaign, and the Arizona Republic reported last month about the changes the AG’s office
made to Prop. 127. Arizona Public Service is investing heavily in defeating the measure.

In 2014, APS donated much of its money to RAGA after the final pre-election reporting period. Earlier this year, Continue reading →

After putting together what her spokeswoman said was “the best compliance team in the country”, the Federal Election Commission is telling Rep. Martha McSally that she is STILL not complying with reporting laws. The most recent campaign reports demonstrate that more than 20% of the contributions received this year for the Senate campaign do not properly indicate the employers or occupations of the donor.*

Martha McSally’s House campaign committee had significant problems with complying with these basic Federal Election Commission requirements, and were the subject of a long-running complaint that led to a thorough audit of the campaign’s 2014 election cycle finances. It was concluded earlier this year with findings that more than $600,000 of contributions were not properly identified. (Other findings were that the Committee had overstated its receipts by $94,000, that more than $300,000 was collected above and beyond contribution limits, that timely 48-hour reports were not filed for $100,000 of contributions, and that $32,000 of political committee contributions were not properly itemized.

The FEC adopted the audit findings and indicated that future enforcement actions may be taken. McSally for Senate spokesperson Torunn Sinclair told the Arizona Republic that “we built the best compliance team in the county, compiled of former FEC auditors, accountants and smart legal minds to address any issues and help us stay in compliance.”

That was this past May. However, at that very moment, the campaign was taking Continue reading →

Susan Brnovich will be the newest judge on Arizona’s federal bench. With little fanfare following last week’s major confrontation, the U.S. Senate confirmed a number of judges – some on voice votes, and others with merely 50 vote. Brnovich was approved with no opposition.

If that name sounds familiar, it is not only because Judge Brnovich has been on the Maricopa County Superior Court bench. Mr. Susan Brnovich is also Arizona’s Attorney General and is in a contentious battle for re-election.

The Brnoviches were surprised by the timing of the vote. Mark Brnovich took to Twitter to make the announcement at exactly 5pm, and to say he was “still Continue reading →