As the controversy surrounding the Hobbs administration and Sunshine Residential Homes continues to brew, an increasing number of Republican state officials are urging Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to launch an investigation into the alleged “pay to play” scheme.
Following the allegations made by the Arizona Republic, Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope wrote a letter triggering an investigation by Attorney General Kris Mayes, who is a Democrat. The investigation focuses on the group home company, which allegedly received better daily pay rates per child after donating approximately $400,000 to Hobbs’ campaign, inaugural fund, and the state Democratic Party. Additionally, Republican Representative Mitchell has been contacted by the Auditor General’s office and may consider opening an investigation as well.
“I take my responsibilities as the Treasurer of Arizona very seriously. It is my duty to ensure the safekeeping and management of the state’s securities and investments, all while providing transparency to the taxpayers. Every citizen deserves to know how their hard-earned money is being spent,” emphasized Treasurer Kimberly Yee, who represents the Republican party. She further added, “It is an utter misuse of public funds to provide state funds to political donors. State government should not entertain any ‘pay to play’ or special favors.”
According to Yee, Mayes falsely claimed that she had complete authority over any investigation.
Yee stated that she has asked for a distinct inquiry to be carried out by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. She emphasized that the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has jurisdiction in this issue, and the current examination by the Attorney General’s Office raises apprehensions of potential ethical conflicts of interest. This is because the Attorney General’s Office represents state agencies and officials who are allegedly involved in the suspected scheme.
The Attorney General responded by stating that it is the responsibility of the state to investigate the accusations.
“Our office will pursue the truth, as we do in every investigation. We are mindful of our ethical responsibilities and have taken necessary steps to safeguard the interests of everyone involved. The Department of Child Services has been instructed to seek external legal counsel for this case,” Mayes explained. “It is important to note that the issues Senator Shope has requested us to investigate do not pertain to any of your official duties as prescribed by state law. While you are always welcome to share your personal concerns with me, I want to clarify this point.”
According to Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, Mayes should recuse herself from the case due to her past affiliations with Arizona Democratic Party funding. He also mentioned that Mayes had neglected a previous complaint from him about Hobbs’ alleged misuse of public resources before taking office.
In a scathing letter, Livingston called for the recusal of the investigator due to their conflict of interest and mishandling of Livingston’s previous complaint. Livingston emphasized that the investigator’s involvement in the pay-to-play scandal, which originates from the Governor’s controversial fundraising tactics and political donations to the ADP, would only serve to shield the Democratic party and Governor Hobbs from any potential liability.
In a report by The Center Square on Monday, it was revealed that Mayes has requested Mitchell to abstain from conducting her own investigation to prevent any potential “parallel investigations.” However, during a media briefing on Tuesday, Hobbs declined to comment on the allegations and did not clarify whether she would comply with both Mayes and Mitchell if they both proceed with their investigations.
On Monday, the Attorney General’s office sent an email to reporters stating that they will not be responding to Livingston’s letter.