By Corinne Murdock |
Gov. Katie Hobbs won’t disclose how much her inauguration ceremony will cost, or how much donors paid for it. Hobbs’ decision to withhold the donors’ identities not only contradicts her campaign promises but past administrations’ transparency on the subject.
Hobbs listed 137 sponsors for the event, but didn’t disclose how much they paid.
Sponsors include the Arizona Education Association, APS, Arizona Coyotes, Banner Health, BlueCross BlueShield, Boeing, Cigna, Cox, CVS, Deloitte, Gila River Indian Community, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Healthcare Rising Arizona, Horizon Strategies, Human Rights Campaign, Intel, Motorola, Pepsico, Phoenix Suns, PhRMA, Southwest Gas, SRP, Comcast, Amazon, Anheusesr-Busch, CoreCivic, Lockheed Martin, Paypal, and Safelite.
Tickets were $150 for the public to attend. Following widespread reporting on the lack of transparency around the event, ticket registration was listed as free.
In a statement to Arizona Capitol Times, Hobbs’ press aide Murphy Hebert said the event is a private one not paid for with public funds.
The secretive nature of Hobbs’ first days in office may be a lasting trait throughout her administration. The governor barred reporters from attending a swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
Hobbs’ first promise when she announced her candidacy for governor was to “deliver transparency.”
Hobbs continued that promise throughout her campaign, right up to the election.
Hobbs’ bio on the newly revamped governor’s website also promises transparency from this new administration.
“A fearless advocate for Arizona, Katie will bring transparency and accountability to the governor’s office and deliver real results for all of us,” reads the bio. “Katie knows firsthand that government only works well if it’s led well. For Katie, that means transparency and accountability.”
Those interested in watching the inauguration ceremony may do so here:
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
