By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Senate Ethics Committee Chairwoman Shawnna Bolick has referred an ethics complaint against Sen. Analise Ortiz to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review, citing allegations that involve federal law enforcement.
The complaint, filed on September 2nd, accuses Ortiz of interfering with federal immigration enforcement operations in the state. Bolick announced Wednesday that she will formally notify federal prosecutors, saying the allegations fall under their jurisdiction.
“I take this complaint very seriously. Doxing federal ICE agents is not only reckless, it endangers lives and undermines the rule of law,” Bolick said in a statement.
The referral comes as the Senate Ethics Committee has yet to meet in 2025. Bolick said the panel must first adopt its operating rules before it can consider the complaint. Once that step is complete, she added, the committee will review the case “strictly adhering to constitutional standards, as well as applicable state and local laws.”
Bolick distributed the complaint to committee members and Ortiz in a single email “to ensure full transparency,” she said. The issue also connects to Bolick’s legislative record. In 2021, she sponsored HB 2502, a bill signed into law that makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to electronically distribute someone else’s personal information without their consent, with intent to provoke harassment. At the time, it was the first state-level measure addressing the online misuse of personal data.
Until the U.S. Attorney’s Office completes its review, Bolick said, the Senate committee will hold off on further action.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.