Arizona’s Politics

State Rep. Shawnna Bolick Facing Election Challenge That She Filed “False” Papers; Seat Targeted By National Dems

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One nomination challenge filed in Maricopa County Superior Court today might draw national attention. Incumbent State Rep. Shawnna Bolick (R-LD20) finds herself as the defendant today, primarily for using a UPS Store mailbox instead of her actual residential address on her nomination papers and petitions.

The challenge was filed by Judith Lohr, who is represented by Jim Barton, an attorney well-known for representing labor and Democratic interests. Local and national Democratic groups have targeted the district as being a key to regaining Democratic control of the State House.

If Bolick is knocked off of the ballot, her seat would be very likely to flip to the Democrats. Fellow incumbent Anthony Kern and newcomer Democrat Judy Schwiebert would be the two candidates on the ballot, unless someone collects enough signatures to make the ballot as an independent. The top two finishers in November are the Representatives for the north Phoenix district.

The nomination paper requires an “actual residence address” and a certification that the information is true and correct. The petitions that she circulated also require the “actual residence address”. Bolick used a UPS Store mailbox on Bell Road on those papers,

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Federal Court DISMISSES Request To Force State To Allow Online Petition-Gathering For Initiatives During Pandemic

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Late this afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Dominic Lanza dismissed an effort by two groups circulating petitions to force the state of Arizona to open up its online signature platform to allow the initiatives to gather signatures in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

A similar effort in state court is still outstanding.

Finding that the language of Arizona’s Constitution – drafted more than 100 years ago – requires that the initiative petition must be a “sheet… signed in the presence of” the circulator must be respected.

“Enter the coronavirus,” writes Lanza. It prompted plaintiffs to challenge the statutes written pursuant to the Constitution while not challenging the language of the Constitution itself. At the hearing earlier this week, Plaintiffs argued that opening up Arizona’s E-Qual signature platform would substantially comply with the constitutional language.

Judge Lanza was not having it.

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AZ Rep. Schweikert’s Ethics Investigation Legal Fees Near $1M; 69% Of Contributions Go To Attorneys

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The 2-year investigation into ethics violations by Arizona Rep. David Schweikert continues to take its toll on his campaign. More than two-thirds of the monies he raised in the last quarter of 2019 went to paying legal debt, and he incurred nearly $77,000 in new bills from four different law firms.

Schweikert’s campaign has now racked up $985,932 in legal fees since the investigation began. The House Ethics Committee is continuing its investigative work behind closed doors into a multitude of alleged violations. Schweikert (R-CD6) has long stated that the ordeal surrounding minor allegations was on the verge of being wrapped up.

To make matters worse, a sixth law firm began billing the campaign this year. It is unclear from the campaign’s FEC filing today how Ashby Law is now involved.* The legal bills this quarter were higher than the

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“Deal or No Deal” – Mnuchin Says “Yes” and Shakes Hands, Trump Doesn’t Give a Whit

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Although Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin proclaimed he reached a “Deal!” with the leaders of both Houses of Congress – and he knew of the accountability provisions included in the deal – President Donald Trump ripped up a key part of that deal two hours after signing it into law.

The smooth-yet-gutless trick came in the form of a rare presidential “signing statement”. However, this statement was not released until the Congressional leaders and Cabinet members left the Oval Office signing ceremony. (No doubt, Democratic leaders are even more glad that they were not invited to stand behind him.)

The key provision that the signing statement demolished was that the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (the actual title) would report to Congress every three months. That report is to include “a detailed statement of all loans, loan guarantees, other

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Anti-Trump Group To Spend $600k Running Controversial “Hoax” Ad In Arizona

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An anti-Trump Super PAC announced this morning that it will spend $600,000 in Arizona over the next few weeks to air an ad that the President’s campaign is demanding stations not air.

Priorities USA Action responded to yesterday’s cease and desist letters in other battleground states by doubling down and buying air time in Phoenix and Tucson for the ad. (The ad is below.)

Guy Cecil, the Chair of the committee, was defiant: “The fact that Trump is going to such great

lengths to keep the American people from hearing his own words adds to the urgency of communicating them far and wide. Trump doesn’t want voters to know the truth. We will not be intimidated.”

The Trump campaign made its cease and desist letter public yesterday and noted that Fox News agreed not to air the ad. It claims that the President’s well-publicized “hoax” comment referred to the Democrats’ politicization of the crisis, and not the virus itself. The letter leans heavily – without irony – on several articles from mainstream media

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