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THE ARIZONA EXAMINER


Arizona Republicans Withdraw from Event Linked to White-Nationalist Group
Several prominent Arizona Republicans have pulled back from a scheduled December gathering with Republicans for National Renewal (RNR), following reporting that exposed the group’s ties to white-nationalist networks. The event, called the “Christmas Crusade,” was promoted as a holiday-season get-together arranged by RNR alongside NicoPAC, a political action committee led by local conservative activist Nico Delgado, who works as a special assistant to GOP Congressman Abe Hamad
4 days ago2 min read


Chandler to decide fate of Sinema's Data Center
On December 11 the Chandler City Council will vote whether to green-light a 422,877-square-foot “AI data center” in the city’s South Price Road corridor, a project that has attracted heated controversy and raises serious questions about lobbying, city planning, and corporate influence. The most striking factor in this fight is the heavy-duty involvement of Kyrsten Sinema. The former U.S. senator has inserted herself personally in Chandler’s zoning process, an unusual move for
4 days ago2 min read


E. coli cases tied to Arizona State Fair did not trigger public warning
Health authorities in Arizona recently determined that multiple E. coli cases among children, some ending in hospitalizations, can be linked to the Arizona State Fair. Despite the severity of some of the illnesses, no public warning was issued during the outbreak. According to reporting, even though some children developed dangerous complications, including Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), officials concluded that the outbreak did not meet criteria for a formal public alert.
6 days ago1 min read


Pentagon Watchdog Says Hegseth Risked Troops’ Safety by Using Signal
A new report by the Department of Defense’s Inspector General has concluded that Pete Hegseth violated Pentagon rules and endangered U.S. personnel when he used the commercial messaging app Signal earlier this year to share sensitive operational details about a strike against Houthi militants in Yemen. According to people familiar with the investigation, the chat included “strike-window” timing, launch times for aircraft and missiles, and even the moment when bombs would hit.
Dec 31 min read


Paradise Valley Moves to Oust Superintendent After Misconduct Allegations
The Paradise Valley Unified School District board voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt a “statement of charges” against its superintendent, Todd Cummings, setting in motion plans to fire him unless he requests a hearing within ten days. The decision comes after only a few months in the job. Cummings was placed on paid administrative leave on September 30 following a closed-door board meeting that cited unspecified complaints and employment concerns. In the months since, an
Dec 32 min read


Scottsdale Weighs New Limits on Public Comment as Residents Warn of Shrinking Civic Space
Scottsdale is considering new restrictions on public comment at City Council meetings, a move that would shrink both the time allowed for each speaker and the total number of residents permitted to address their local government. The proposal arrives at a moment when communities across Arizona are debating how much space citizens should have in the political process. The fact that this conversation is happening in Scottsdale, a city that has long prided itself on public invol
Dec 32 min read


Another Bad Headline for Jeannette Garcia: Avondale Councilmember Faces Kidnapping Lawsuit
A lawsuit filed November 14 in Maricopa County Superior Court alleges Jeannette Garcia, a councilmember in Avondale, AZ, propositioned a male coworker for sex and then abducted his 14-year-old daughter after he rejected her advances. According to the complaint, filed by an anonymous father, “John Doe”, and his daughter, “Jane Doe,” the night in question followed a 2024 election celebration at a restaurant in Goodyear attended by employees of Turning Point, a conservative poli
Nov 262 min read


Senator Ruben Gallego Faces Backlash After Leaked Texts Mock Democratic Party’s Image
Senator Ruben Gallego is under fire after a newly released cache of private text messages revealed he criticized the appearance and style of members of his own party. According to a report in People magazine, Gallego complained that the Democratic Party no longer “allows women to be hot” and lamented that “Dem women look like Dem men and Dem men look like women.” The texts, obtained by a conservative outlet, contained other dismissive comments. In one exchange Gallego referre
Nov 262 min read


Pentagon Launches Investigation of Sen. Mark Kelly Over Video Urging Troops to Refuse “Illegal Orders”
The United States Department of Defense announced Monday that it has opened an investigation into Mark Kelly, Democratic senator from Arizona and retired Navy captain, following his participation in a video urging military personnel to refuse “illegal orders.” In the online video, released Nov. 18, Kelly joined five other lawmakers, each with military or intelligence backgrounds, in a message that stated: “You can refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that vio
Nov 252 min read


Fountain Hills Council Eliminates Public Comment From Meetings, Citing Legal Risk
In a Nov. 18 vote likely to reverberate across civic halls across Arizona, the Fountain Hills Town Council voted 5–2 to eliminate the “Call to the Public” portion of its meetings, the segment where residents can speak on non-agenda issues. The decision came after a resident issued a formal complaint, alleging that council members and a private citizen used a recent meeting to promote Christian beliefs, in violation of constitutional church-state rules. The complaint referenc
Nov 202 min read


Former Arizona Legislator Austin Smith Pleads Guilty in Petition-Forgery Case
Former state Representative Austin Smith has entered a guilty plea in connection with forged signatures on his 2024 nominating petition. The case exposes a failure in the very processes conservatives often champion: transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. Smith, 30, served one term representing Legislative District 29 in the Phoenix suburbs. He withdrew his bid for reelection in April 2024, after questions emerged about the integrity of his nomination petition shee
Nov 182 min read


Arizona Tribal Member Nearly Shipped to ICE Custody After Iowa Jail Clerical Error
A troubling administrative mix-up nearly placed an Arizona native in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following her time at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Jail in Des Moines, Iowa. The incident underscores systemic risks when local detention facilities cross paths with federal immigration enforcement mechanisms. The individual, 24-year-old Leticia Jacobo, is a member of the Salt River Pima‑Maricopa Indian Community and a U.S. citizen born in Ari
Nov 142 min read


Arizona House GOP Launches Investigation After Reporting on Governor-Contractor Relationship
A fresh inquiry has been launched by the Republican majority in the Arizona House of Representatives following a series of reports by the The Arizona Republic regarding alleged financial links between Katie Hobbs and the state‐contracted group home operator Sunshine Residential Homes. According to the Arizona Republic, its reporting exposed that Sunshine Residential Homes, which operates foster and group homes under state contract, had close financial and operational ties to
Nov 142 min read


Megyn Kelly Sparks Backlash With Comments on Jeffrey Epstein Case
Media figure Megyn Kelly is facing renewed criticism after remarks she made about the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Kelly suggested during an interview that because Epstein’s trafficking focused on older teens rather than younger children, the label “pedophile” might not apply. Following the public outcry, Kelly’s team responded by affirming that Epstein’s actions were “disgusting,” but the commentator continued to highlight the distinction she draws around leg
Nov 142 min read


Fired for Lying, Then Tried to Rewrite Police Transparency
Let’s put something back on the table, because the passage of time does not erase what happened. Anthony Kern, then a Republican member of the Arizona House, had a professional history that should have raised serious red flags for anyone who cares about law-and-order principles. Instead of being sidelined, he stayed in elected office and pushed legislation that would have weakened transparency. Here are the facts that too many people have forgotten. In 2014, Kern was fired fr
Nov 122 min read


Remember When Steve Montenegro’s “Family Values” Campaign Went Up in Flames?
If you’ve been around Arizona politics long enough, you know that scandals come and go faster than a monsoon storm. But some are worth remembering, especially when the same people try to resurface as if nothing ever happened. Case in point: Steve Montenegro. Back in 2018, Montenegro, then the golden boy of Arizona conservatives, was gunning for Congress in the special election to replace disgraced Rep. Trent Franks. The pitch was simple: a devout Christian, family man, and re
Nov 102 min read


David Stringer Never Really Left Arizona Politics, And Voters Deserve A Reminder
Former Prescott lawmaker David Stringer resigned from the Arizona House in 2019, and many voters assumed that was the end of the story. It was not. He kept his law license for several years, built a local media platform, hosted candidates and forums, and is still drawing respectable guests from around the state. That is a problem Republicans should stop pretending not to see. The core facts are not in dispute. In 1983, Stringer was arrested in Baltimore on suspicion of payin
Nov 53 min read


Phoenix, Your Tax-Dollars and the New “Pentagon Press” Featuring Extremists
I t broke quietly on October 23, 2025, that the Pentagon’s traditional press corps, which exited en-mass over new restrictions, has been replaced by roughly 60 journalists from far-right outlets. Among them are a few names with Arizona roots and connections to extremist organizations. Names tied to Arizona emerged prominently: Wade Searle, formerly of Prescott, Arizona, and once an aide to Representative Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), was reported to be a “prominent member” of the s
Oct 311 min read


The Past Always Comes Knocking: Why Michael Todd’s “Family Troubles” Matter in the Liberty School Recall
Arizona voters have short memories, but sometimes, the past doesn’t stay buried for long. Take Michael Todd, now a familiar name again as the embattled board president of Liberty Elementary School District. The same man who’s facing a recall effort from furious parents and educators today is the very same Michael Todd whose “family troubles” dominated front pages back in 2008, when he was running for mayor of Buckeye. At the time, Todd was a self-proclaimed “family man” who a
Oct 232 min read


Arizona’s Forgotten Resume Check: Tom Horne’s Long Trail of Troubles
Conservatives who care about principle and accountability need to take a hard look at the record of Tom Horne. Credentials and slogans do not tell the story of a leader. Behavior does. And anyone thinking of backing him again should know exactly what they are buying: a long list of controversies that never truly disappeared. Let’s start at the beginning. In 2010, while Horne was on his way up and positioning himself to become Arizona’s Attorney General, decades-old baggage re
Oct 212 min read
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