Arizona’s Politics

NEW: “Dirty Trick” By National Republican Group Targeting Arizona Reps Given Pass By Dysfunctional FEC…After Five Years

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Five years ago, Arizona’s Politics helped report efforts by a “dirty trick” by the National Republican Congressional Committee (“NRCC”) against candidates nationwide, including the three Arizona swing-seat Democrats. The FEC finally gave the NRCC a pass and opened the file today.

(from SPOOF website)

The so-called attack microsites launched against Reps. Kyrsten Sinema, Ann Kirkpatrick and Ron Barber (and a couple of dozen other Democrats around the country) spoofed the candidates’ websites and tried to trick Googlers into donating to the NRCC.

National articles found a couple of the Arizona spoofs, and Arizona’s Politics located the third in February 2014. A follow-up later that month found that the NRCC had changed the donation pages to reduce the trickery level and to add security to its spoofs. (There are lots of images, ironies and fun facts in the older articles that will not be repeated here; please check out the links!)

One month later, national campaign finance watchdogs Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 filed complaints

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ASU Asst. Prof. Plays Big Role In Elizabeth Warren ‘s $640B Student Debt Forgiveness Proposal

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Democratic Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren today proposed a major $640B Student Loan Debt Cancellation plan. ASU Assistant Professor Raphaël Charron-Chénier is one of four “leading experts on student loan debt to analyze the proposal and conclude that it would help close the “racial wealth gap.” Charron-Chénier teaches at ASU’s School of Social Transformation, and tells Arizona’s Politics … Read more

Schweikert Campaign UNDERWATER As Legal Expenses From Ethics Probe Surpass $583,000

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Arizona Rep. David Schweikert (R-CD6) has seen his campaign committee sink underwater, owing more money than it has on hand, as his legal expenses climbed to $583,000 as a result of a year-long ethics investigation. The apparent origin of the trouble – Oliver Schwab, his former Chief of Staff – is no longer under investigation. … Read more

TODAY: Oral Argument This Afternoon On Case To Force Earlier Special Election For Senate Seat Effort To (Re-re-re)Fill Late-Sen. McCain’s Seat Before November 2020

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Attorneys will argue in U.S District Court this afternoon about whether the Arizona law permitting Governor Doug Ducey to control the late-Senator John McCain’s seat until November 2020. Arizona’s Poltics previously reported on the constitutional challenge to the vacancy law. At that point, Sen. Jon Kyl was serving at the Governor’s request. Kyl then resigned, permitting Ducey … Read more

NEW: Arizona @SenatorSinema Snubs (All of Her) Democratic Colleagues, Declining To Co-Sponsor Bill Expanding Child Tax Credit and EITC

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Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema this week became the only Democratic Senator to decline to co-sponsor legislation to expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. The bill was introduced Wednesday by Senators Sherrod Brown (OH), Michael Bennet (CO) and Richard Durbin (IL). With much fanfare, they announced that they “lead 46 Democrats … Read more