A coalition of Arizona’s legislators are asking Governor Doug Ducey to press the Biden-Harris Administration harder about the ongoing border crisis. The legislators submitted a letter to Ducey on Tuesday, reminding him that President Joe Biden has neglected Arizona and the American people in terms of the border and refugee crises. In particular, the legislators asserted that Biden still hasn’t answered Ducey’s requests for resources to manage the swarm of illegal immigrants. They also lambasted the Biden-Harris Administration for using American taxpayers’ dollars to house, feed, and provide health care to illegal immigrants while ignoring Americans in need, such as homeless veterans, and while making greater demands of Americans, like mandating the COVID-19 vaccine.
What’s more, the legislators accused the Biden-Harris Administration of disregarding female military service members and Border Patrol agents who have been sexually assaulted and harassed by illegal immigrants. It is unclear what incidents the legislators were citing; AZ Free News was unable to locate public reports indicating that this has occurred.
The FBI and local law enforcement are investigating multiple cases across various bases in the country where Afghan refugees have assaulted or harassed women or young boys, either sexually or physically.
Last month, Judicial Watchdiscovered in records obtained from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that dozens of unaccompanied migrant children were physically and/or sexually abused or assaulted from January to February while under the government’s care. The legislators also asserted that the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaction on the border is indicative of a true intent to have an open border policy, though the administration has claimed otherwise.
Those that signed onto the letter were State Representatives Leo Biasiucci (R-Lake Havasu City), Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley), Walter Blackman (R-Snowflake), Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), Judy Burges (R-Prescott), Quang Nguyen (R-Prescott Valley), John Fillmore (R-Apache Junction), Jacqueline Parker (R-Mesa), Steve Kaiser (R-Phoenix), David Cook (R-Globe), Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale), Beverly Pingerelli (R-Peoria), Brenda Barton (R-Payson), Kevin Payne (R-Peoria), Frank Carroll (R-Sun City West), John Kavanaugh (R-Fountain Hills), Shawnna Bolick (R-Glendale), Tim Dunn (R-Yuma), and State Senators Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu City), Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff), David Livingston (R-Peoria), Sine Kerr (R-Buckeye), Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix), and Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert).
As of press time, Ducey hasn’t issued a public response to the letter.
Read the entirety of the Republican legislators’ letter below:
The invasion of America’s southern border has become a national emergency. We are witnessing a surge like we have never experienced before. In April of this year, you took the lead and asked President Biden for resources to assist in the influx of illegal immigrants. To this day, the Biden-Harris administration continues to ignore the safety of our citizens and has allowed the nation’s border to be overrun.
The Biden-Harris open border policy is destroying our country. We expect the president and his administration to assist our homeless veterans and struggling citizens. Instead, he is using federal tax dollars to house, feed, and provide health care to thousands of illegal immigrants who have willfully violated our laws. This administration is demanding that all Americans must get vaccinated for COVID-19. Yet, they make no such demand upon the thousands coming into our country illegally. Moreover, we will not tolerate the Biden-Harris administration’s disregard of female military servicemembers and Border Patrol agents who endure sexual assault and harassment from illegal immigrants.
This willful invasion on our nation must end immediately. The duty to stop the illegal flow across our southern border rests solely on the federal government. The Biden-Harris administration’s resistance, and utter failure, to fulfil its responsibility is a disgrace.
If the Biden-Harris administration does not care about the well-being and safety of its citizens, then it is up to the State of Arizona to do what it can. We respectfully urge you to consider declaring a state of emergency, utilize the National Guard to assist as permitted to secure Arizona’s southern border, and immediately seek support from the Mexican government to assist the state in stopping this unprecedented surge.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Last week, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Bill Gates appeared in a video to speak out against the Senate’s audit. The pair had teamed up to support Republicans for Voting Rights within the Republican Accountability Project, the latest endeavor of the Democratic, “Never-Trump” group, Defending Democracy Together. They were one of the top-spending “dark money” groups in the 2020 election, spending over $15 million to either oppose previous President Donald Trump or support President Joe Biden. Contrary to how DDT characterizes itself, Open Secrets classifies DDT as “liberal.”
AZ Free News reached out to both Richer and Gates to inquire about this partnership. Gates didn’t respond by press time, but Richer did. Richer told AZ Free News that he decided to team up with Defending Democracy Together because he believed it was an opportunity to speak out against what led to January 6, which he said reminded him of the French Revolution. Richer also informed us that Defending Democracy Together approached him to appear in the video, and that he didn’t receive any compensation for his appearance.
“I took the opportunity to voice my opposition to January 6 and the lies that led to January 6,” stated Richer. “Standing up against something that looked like it was out of the playbook of the French Revolution is something that would hopefully make Edmund Burke – the godfather of modern conservatism – and anyone who supports law and order proud.”
In the video, Gates said that the auditing company, Cyber Ninjas, and the Arizona Senate have “desecrated our democracy” with their audit. He urged other Republican leaders to say that no fraud existed and that President Donald Trump really lost the election, in order to save our democracy. “If you aren’t willing to speak up now, as a Republican, when are you going to?” asked Gates. “You can’t worry about your electoral prospects because we may not have a democracy by the time that you have a reelection.”
Richer concurred with Gates’ pleadings, asking Republicans what their “line in the sand” was if it wasn’t the January 6 riot. He characterized the audit as a partisan effort led by conspiracy theorists.
“I wish there were more Republicans who would speak out about this audit. There has to be a line in the sand. If lying about the election system, lying about the very form of government to which you were elected, if January 6 isn’t your line in the sand, what is?” asked Richer.
Gates shared the video shortly after it was posted by the Republican Accountability Project. “Conspiracy-driven, partisan audits only further ‘The Big Lie’ and chip away at the foundations of our democracy,” tweeted Gates. “To my fellow Republicans, it’s time to tell the truth. If not now, when? Our republic depends on it.” https://twitter.com/billgatesaz/status/1441455035901227009 The Republican Accountability Project calls January 6 an “insurrection.” By law, an insurrection is a violent uprising or rebellion against the government. The project also ranks those that many call “Republicans In Name Only” (RINOs) as “excellent,” such as Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-IN-16) and Liz Cheney (R-WY), as well as Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Ben Sasse (R-NE). True Republicans back the traditional party values of low taxation, limited government, deregulation, conservative lifestyles, capitalism, and the free market.
By definition, those in charge of Defending Democracy Together aren’t Republicans.
One of the directors, Amanda Carpenter, is a CNN political commentator and author of “GASLIGHTING AMERICA: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us.” Another director, Olivia Troye, pledged to vote for Biden – she was previously in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and a top aide to previous Vice President Mike Pence.
The founding director and current chairman of Defending Democracy Together, Bill Kristol, chairman, came out as a Democrat last year. Although, Kristol’s tax filings indicate that he’s been a Democrat for years.
Sarah Longwell, executive director and co-founder of Defending Democracy Together, as well as spokeswoman for Republicans for the Rule of Law went door knocking for Biden’s campaign last year and presumably voted for him.
The full transcript of the video is reproduced below:
Gates: What the Cyber Ninjas and the Arizona Senate has done is to desecrate our democracy.
Richer: This is a partisan audit that is driven by conspiracy theorists.
Gates: I’m Bill Gates and I’m Vice Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Richer: My name is Stephen Richer, and I’m the Maricopa County Recorder.
Gates: We have to tell people the truth: there’s no evidence of fraud and that Donald Trump lost the election. If you aren’t willing to speak up now, as a Republican, when are you going to? You can’t worry about your electoral prospects because we may not have a democracy by the time that you have a reelection.
Richer: I wish there were more Republicans who would speak out about this audit. There has to be a line in the sand. If lying about the election system, lying about the very form of government to which you were elected, if January 6 isn’t your line in the sand, what is?
A purported draft of the Maricopa County election audit report calling for decertification has been circulating online since the official audit report on Friday. This version of the audit report called for decertification of the 2020 election results. The Gateway Pundit, a right-leaning news outlet, originally published the purported draft. In a press release response on Monday, the auditing company Cyber Ninjas asserted that the draft and its recommendations of decertification weren’t real.
The Gateway Pundit draft is not the same draft audit report leaked to media outlets last Friday prior to the Senate presentation. That draft audit report is valid, whereas the one in which Cyber Ninjas recommended decertification isn’t valid.
This “draft” of the audit report was uploaded to Scribd by Jim Hoft, founder and editor-in-chief of Gateway Pundit. It was then reported on by Joe Hoft, Jim’s twin brother, in an article published Sunday afternoon, “Arizona Audit Final Report Was Watered Down: Reports from Cyber Ninjas Were Edited, Most Damning Statements Removed – What Else Was Removed?”
AZ Free News reached out to Gateway Pundit to inquire about the origins of this draft report. They didn’t offer a response by press time.
The PR team for Cyber Ninjas, the Thomson Group, issued a statement on Monday that the draft audit report from Gateway Pundit was falsified and wasn’t from Cyber Ninjas.
There is a false version of the Executive Summary of the Maricopa County Forensic Election Audit report that is circulating. This false version claims to be an earlier version of the Cyber Ninjas Executive Summary, but because of supposed threats from the Senate, it was not used. This is absolutely false.
The exact origins to the Executive Summary found at the following scribd link are unknown. But it was not written by Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, nor was it any version that was ever sent or shown to the Senate for review. Specifically, this false version of the Executive Summary states, ‘the election should not be certified.’
This was not written by Cyber Ninjas. It is Cyber Ninjas’ perspective that whether an election should or should not be certified is to be determined by the legislature, and not auditors. The audit team’s job is to supply all the facts and findings surrounding the election and recommend legislative reforms.
We followed up with the Thomson Group to ask if they’d determined the source for this falsified draft report. They didn’t respond by press time, either.
According to The Gateway Pundit’s Ethics and Editorial Standards, their publication focuses on relaying truth and exemplifying virtue.
“All our content should be true. No value is more important than this. […] All Gateway Pundit content should be excellent, both in production and in the promotion of virtue. […] We must have courage in order [to] expose the truth about powerful interests that may be angered by our coverage.”
The Senate’s liaison to the audit, Randy Pullen, confirmed with the Arizona Capitol Times that the draft audit report calling for decertification was fake. As of press time, Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott) hasn’t issued any statements on this purported audit draft.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The Grand Canyon University (GCU) men’s basketball team decided to give back to their community, opting to assist local homes with yardwork. Aidan Igiehon, one of the players, explained that he and his teammates felt satisfied with helping their community beautify their homes.
“When a group of guys come together and set a goal, and we achieve that goal, no matter what goal it is, it always feels really good,” said Igiehon. “So, we came in and saw just dirt on the floor and a mountain of rocks and now when you look at it and the rocks are all placed on the floor, it makes us feel really good.”
Igiehon added that the team plans to do more community work throughout their season.
Tuesday, GCU tweeted some clips of the team working, all dressed in purple t-shirts that read “GCU: OPERATION REVIVAL” on the front, and “VOLUNTEER” on the back. The players prepped the yards by laying and nailing down edging before filling the yard in. More video showed the team shoveling, raking, pushing wheelbarrows, and sweeping gravel and dirt into yards.
“ ‘As a team we want to give back. We have an awesome community that supports us and our basketball endeavors, so this is our way of giving back.’ -Aidan Igiehon,” quoted GCU.
“As a team we want to give back. We have an awesome community that supports us, and this is our way of giving back.” – Aidan Igiehon pic.twitter.com/n0dJxmMK8c
Operation Revival is GCU’s ongoing neighborhood revitalization project with partner Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. The pair teamed up in 2015 to assist local homeowners with home improvement and upkeep. It’s part of a five-point plan to improve GCU’s neighborhoods; this operation focuses on increasing home values and quality of life for residents.
In 2020, GCU reported that the project over the years has completed 662 repairs in the homes of 285 families. Additionally, GCU employees had given nearly $3 million to Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona.
In 2019, the Greater Arizona Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized GCU for Operation Revival. The university was given the Spirit of Philanthropy Award.
Homeowners are gifted with a purple GCU gnome, and volunteers are given purple shirts like the ones worn by the GCU basketball team. The university also hosts events to give special recognition to noteworthy volunteers.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper ruled that many laws passed within the recent budget were unconstitutional. Cooper stated that the legislation violated the single subject rule of the Arizona Constitution. The case, Arizona School Boards Association Inc., et al., v. State of Arizona, et al. (CV2021-012741) had a total of 15 plaintiffs. In all, Cooper’s ruling impacted a variety of budget-related bills, or BRBs: HB2898, SB1824, SB1825, and struck down SB1819 in its entirety.
“Subject and title of bills[:] Section 13. Every act shall embrace but one subject and matters properly connected therewith, which subject shall be expressed in the title; but if any subject shall be embraced in an act which shall not be expressed in the title, such an act shall be void only as to so much thereof as shall not be embraced in the title.” (emphasis added)
In a copy of the opinion obtained by 12 News, Cooper asserted that Section 13 was made with the intent to prevent “logrolling”: inserting a multiplicity of subjects into one bill in order to push a vote through. The judge supported her claim with Arizona Supreme Court precedent. In explaining her decision to strike down all of SB1819, a sweeping bill that expanded voter registration, modified ballot security requirements, removed the secretary of state’s legal authority over election laws, established an election integrity fund, limited the length of public health emergencies, and created a special committee to audit the voter rolls, among other things.
“No matter how liberally one construes the concept of ‘subject’ for the single subject rule, the array of provisions are in no way related to nor connected with each other or to an identifiable ‘budget procedure.’ The bill is classic logrolling – a medley of special interests cobbled together to force a vote for all or none,” wrote Cooper. “In this case, the State’s view would allow the Legislature to re-define ‘budget reconciliation’ to mean anything it chooses. Going forward, the Legislature could add any policy or regulatory provision to a BRB, regardless of whether the measure was necessary to implement the budget, without notice to the public. The State’s idea of ‘subject’ is not and cannot be the law.” (emphasis added)
Cooper also asserted that the bills in question weren’t in compliance with the state constitution’s requirement that bill titles clearly reflect the content of the legislation.
In striking down the entirety of SB1819, Cooper explained that prior court decisions don’t allow for severability to salvage portions of the bill.
“When an act violates the single subject rule, the whole act fails,” stated Cooper.
Whereas for the other bills, Cooper explained that the certain provisions banning mask, vaccine, and testing mandates; critical race theory education; and vaccine passports weren’t reflected in the bill titles. Therefore, they were invalid.
As AZ Free News reported last week, the main plaintiff in the case, Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), recently hosted a law conference where photos showed attendees maskless and not social distancing, though spokespersons informed us that masks were required. ASBA also told us they encouraged some attendees to take off masks momentarily and group together for pictures.
The mask mandate ban would’ve gone into effect on Wednesday.
Governor Doug Ducey’s spokesperson characterized the ruling as “judicial overreach.” The governor’s office promised that they would challenge the ruling.
“We are still reviewing the ruling, but this decision is clearly an example of judicial overreach. Arizona’s state government operates with three branches, and it’s the duty and authority of only the legislative branch to organize itself and to make laws,” stated Ducey’s spokesman. “Unfortunately, today’s decision is the result of a rogue judge interfering with the authority and processes of another branch of government. Further action will be taken to challenge this ruling and ensure separation of powers is maintained.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
