By Staff Reporter |
Earlier this summer, State Sen. Kiana Sears (D-LD9) attempted to scam a restaurant out of more than $1,500 worth of fried chicken.
Now, Sears is part of the inaugural “Black Leaders for Katie” coalition, launched by Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday as part of her reelection campaign. Sears was named second in a list of 35.
Members of the media referred to the ordeal as “Chickengate,” so dubbed by the Arizona Agenda who retrieved the emails involving the restaurant, lawmakers, senate staff, and lobbyists that shed light on Sears’s conduct.
The ordeal began after a Republican lawmaker and bipartisan lobbyist group organized an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. That event included more than $1,500 worth of catering from the Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken location in downtown Phoenix. The order included chicken, mac and cheese, coleslaw, sweet tea, and lemonade.
Following the event, Sears contacted the caterer purporting to be one of the individuals in charge. Sears did not coordinate or pay for the event. According to an email from the restaurant’s general manager, Sears claimed in a call that the chicken was “overcooked, dry, and not enjoyed by most” — directly contradicting positive feedback the restaurant had received from event coordinators.
The general manager also revealed that Sears demanded the $1,500 catering order be remade on Saturday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m. Those who coordinated the event urged the restaurant to ignore Sears’s request.
Sears later dismissed questions from the media about the scam attempt as a “distraction” from her work as a lawmaker, and refused to answer other questions regarding where the catering order would have gone if the restaurant had fulfilled it.
As part of Hobbs’ launch of Black Leaders for Katie, the governor hosted a roundtable pledging her commitment to minority-owned businesses.
Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken began with a little operation founded by a Black family, originally called Maggie’s Short Orders by Napoleon “Na” and Maggie Vanderbilt when they first opened in Tennessee in 1973, and then renamed to the current branding after their son, Vernon “Gus” Bonner, who took over the business in the 1980s. The Bonner family has since sold the franchising rights to these restaurants.
There are four Gus’s locations in Arizona, and 38 locations across 13 states.
Other Black Leaders for Katie members are:
- Corey Woods, Tempe Mayor
- Quantá Crews, State Representative
- Kesha Hodge Washington, Phoenix Vice-Mayor
- Kevin Robinson, Phoenix Councilmember
- Henry Wade, Maricopa Councilmember
- Max White, Avondale Councilmember
- Khara House, Flagstaff City Councilmember
- Coral Evans, former Flagstaff Mayor
- Cloves Campbell Jr., former State Representative
- Berdetta Hodge, former Tempe Councilmember
- Rev. Sheriolyn Curry Hodge, Community & Business Leader
- Rev. Andre Miller, Faith and Community Leader
- Pastor David Wade, Mt. Calvary Baptist church
- Rev. Brian Wright, The Citadel of Praise, Overseer
- Connie DeLarge, Arizona Democratic African American Caucus, Chair
- Briona Parkinson, Maricopa Area Labor Federation, Chair
- Carla Gentles, Gentles Agency, Partner
- Karl Gentles, Gentles Agency, Partner
- Rosiland Moore, Business Leader
- Kent O’Jon, Business Leader
- Sasha Simmons, Business Leader
- Shannon Tolbert, Business Leader
- Ashley Anderson, Community Leader
- Dr. Edmon Baker, MD
- Dr. George Barnes, Education Leader
- Carla Boatner, Community Leader
- Dr. Joanne Curry
- Dr. Karen Hardin, Ed.D Faculty Emeritus
- Jackie Johnson, Community Leader
- Dr. Kenja Kassan
- Dr. Gail Knight, Community and Education Leader
- Dr. Matthew C. Whitaker, Community Leader
- Donna Williams, Attorney and Community Leader
- Rohn Ragland, Student Leader
[Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons]
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