The Republican National Committee is targeting Democratic congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza over salary payments from her campaign account, arguing the payments, combined with her other reported income and assets, undercut her campaign messaging as a working-class anti-corruption candidate. Federal rules allow nonincumbent candidates to receive compensation from campaign funds under certain conditions.
Mendoza is running for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani. The FEC identifies Mendoza as a Democratic House candidate in Arizona’s 6th District and lists Mendoza for Congress as her principal campaign committee.
“JoAnna Mendoza lines her own pockets instead of thinking about Arizonans,” RNC Western Regional Communications Director Nick Poché told AZ Free News. “The only person Mendoza cares about is herself, and it’s clear as day that she can’t be trusted to not abuse her position to enrich herself.”
According to her 2026 candidate financial disclosure filed June 15, Mendoza reported receiving $35,602.50 in salary from her campaign committee, Mendoza for Congress, during the reporting period spanning Jan. 1, 2025, through May 15, 2026.
The RNC pointed to campaign finance filings showing regular payroll payments to Mendoza, estimating her compensation at approximately $102,000 annually before taxes. Separately, federal campaign finance data compiled by OpenPolitical show Mendoza for Congress reported payroll-related expenditures, including $298,781 paid to Gusto Payroll Services.
Her campaign’s FEC summary shows that Mendoza for Congress reported $5,341,037.68 in total receipts, $1,830,458.04 in total disbursements, and $3,510,579.64 in cash on hand through March 31.
The Federal Election Commission states that a federal officeholder may not receive compensation as a candidate from campaign funds, but a nonincumbent candidate may receive compensation from the candidate’s principal campaign committee if the payments meet FEC limits and conditions.
The FEC’s candidate salary guidance says the campaign committee must reduce the maximum amount of permissible candidate compensation from campaign funds by the amount of income earned by the candidate from outside sources after the candidate files a Statement of Candidacy. Mendoza filed her Statement of Candidacy on Feb. 3, 2025, according to the FEC.
Mendoza’s 2026 disclosure lists other income sources in addition to her campaign salary. The filing reports $34,736 in current-year-to-filing military retired pay from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, $28,350 in salary from VetsForward in the preceding year, and $506 from Poderoza Strategies LLC in the preceding year.
The disclosure also lists a Tucson rental property valued between $250,001 and $500,000, with current-year-to-filing rent of $5,001 to $15,000 and $15,001 to $50,000 in rent for the preceding year. Mendoza’s 2025 candidate financial disclosure, filed Aug. 13, 2025, listed rental property income from Genesis Real Estate & Management, but did not list a real property asset in Schedule A.
Mendoza’s business disclosures also changed between the two filings, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon. Her 2025 disclosure listed Radar Strategies LLC as an asset valued between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000. Her 2026 disclosure listed Radar Strategies LLC as an asset valued between $50,001 and $100,000 and included a note stating that Mendoza was a partner in Radar Strategies from February 2024 to April 2025, that “ownership was forfeited back to partner stakeholders,” and that the “valuation updated to reflect prior year and as of partnership exit.”
Millionaire JoAnna Mendoza now claims she voluntarily gave up her millions (yeah sure) to her business partners. Mendoza was also forced to reveal half a million in assets she was hiding from the public.
The change was noted by Poché in a post to X on June 18. He wrote, “Millionaire JoAnna Mendoza now claims she voluntarily gave up her millions (yeah sure) to her business partners. Mendoza was also forced to reveal half a million in assets she was hiding from the public. Oh, & she’s paying herself from her campaign.”
The RNC argued that the salary payments and financial disclosures conflict with Mendoza’s public campaign messaging. Mendoza’s campaign website says she believes “public service is about accountability, integrity, and looking out for ordinary people,” and that she has “zero tolerance for corruption.” The same campaign page says she supports banning members of Congress, their families, and other top government officials from trading individual stocks while in office.
In an April interview with the American Journal News, Mendoza said she wanted to “fight corruption and get our money back.” She also said, “We need to make sure that money isn’t being mishandled, or find out if there’s corruption there.”
Mendoza’s campaign biography describes her as a retired Marine, single mother, and rural Arizonan raised in a farmworker family in Pinal County. Her campaign says she “experienced firsthand the realities of rural poverty,” and later served in the Navy and Marine Corps before returning to Arizona to raise her son.
Mendoza announced in April that her campaign raised more than $2.3 million in the first quarter of 2026, calling it an “impressive fundraising quarter for a first-time congressional candidate.” Her campaign said the fundraising came as she joined the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program and built momentum against Ciscomani.
Census Reporter lists Arizona’s 6th Congressional District at a median household income of $80,251. The RNC compared Mendoza’s estimated annualized campaign salary to district income levels and said the salary issue is likely to become part of the broader campaign over trust and accountability in the competitive district.
Scottsdale is stepping up enforcement against nuisance parties, illegal events, and criminal activity at short-term rentals after police issued 56 charges and citations linked to the properties in May.
According to a press release from the city, Scottsdale Police responded to 48 nuisance-related calls at short-term rental properties in May, as well as calls involving property crimes, crimes against persons, welfare checks, and other incidents. Officers generated 31 department reports and issued 56 charges and citations during the month.
The Scottsdale Police Department told the Scottsdale Progress that officers responded to 239 calls for service at short-term rental locations between January and March 2026. The department noted that 31% were classified as “nuisance complaints;” 185 charges were filed, and 88% were related to non-compliance.
The city said the May enforcement activity included violations tied to nuisance parties, criminal investigations, and licensing compliance. Scottsdale officials said that, for the first time in recent memory, enforcement actions from active short-term rental incidents exceeded administrative compliance violations.
“We will not allow a small number of bad actors to jeopardize the safety and character of our neighborhoods,” City Manager Greg Caton said. “Residents deserve to feel safe in their homes, and we are committed to using every tool available to address nuisance activity, unlawful events and criminal behavior associated with short-term rentals.”
The enforcement push comes as Scottsdale continues to regulate short-term rentals under its local licensing program. The city stated that all properties offered for rent for less than 30 days require a Scottsdale license, and property owners or operators must obtain a license for each property and comply with safety, health, and neighborhood notification requirements.
Scottsdale’s website states that vacation rentals and short-term rentals are dwelling units rented for less than 30 days to transient guests and are allowed by-right in all residential districts. The city also states that non-residential uses, including retail, restaurant, banquet space, event center, or similar uses, are prohibited.
The city’s release cited a shooting investigation stemming from a party at a short-term rental in the Maya complex as one of the incidents resulting in enforcement action. According to the city, the investigation led to multiple arrests on charges that included aggravated assault, weapons violations, and trespassing.
The property owner was cited for operating without a required city license, while the renter was cited for hosting and promoting a nuisance party and operating an event venue.
Police also responded to multiple large parties involving underage alcohol consumption, investigated assaults and domestic disturbances, and handled several alcohol-related medical emergencies, including incidents requiring hospitalization, the city said.
Scottsdale officials also said two large promoter-sponsored events advertised through social media were identified and stopped before they could occur after coordination between police and property owners.
“Our officers are taking a proactive approach because we know the impact these incidents can have on surrounding neighborhoods,” Police Chief Joe LeDuc said. “When short-term rentals become venues for criminal activity, large disruptive parties or unsafe behavior, we will take enforcement action. Our goal is simple: protect residents, preserve neighborhood quality of life and hold violators accountable.”
Scottsdale’s public guidance for residents says short-term rentals are subject to the same limits as private residences and may not be used for nuisance parties, unlawful gatherings, or criminal activity. The city defines nuisance activity as conduct that exceeds normal residential use and causes serious neighborhood disruption, including large parties, loud amplified music, DJs or live bands, commercial or for-profit events, excessive vehicle traffic, parking problems, or disturbances affecting neighboring properties.
State law limits local regulation of short-term rentals; however, under A.R.S. § 9-500.39, cities and towns may regulate vacation and short-term rentals for public health and safety, nuisance control, and licensing requirements. The statute also prohibits using a vacation rental or short-term rental for nonresidential uses, including special events that would otherwise require a permit or license, retail use, restaurant use, banquet space, or similar uses.
City officials said Scottsdale’s increased enforcement follows years of work by the city’s multidisciplinary Short-Term Rental Working Group, which includes the Police Department, Code Enforcement, Tax and Licensing, Constituent Services, the City Attorney’s Office, and the City Manager’s Office.
Recent efforts have included expanded officer training focused on nuisance-party investigations, improved coordination among city departments, accelerated identification of unlicensed operators, and increased focus on repeat offenders and property owners who fail to comply with licensing requirements, according to the city.
Scottsdale officials said responsible short-term rental operations remain supported in the city, but properties associated with nuisance activity, illegal events, or criminal behavior may face enforcement action.
Arizona public school students would spend a designated week each year studying the nation’s founding documents, and students in grades three through twelve would recite a passage from the Declaration of Independence, under legislation sent to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The “Return to Civics Instruction Act,” Senate Bill 1572, sponsored by Sen. Mark Finchem (R-LD1), would require public schools to observe Celebrate Freedom Week. The measure was transmitted to Hobbs earlier this month after passing both chambers of the Legislature.
The bill would require each public school to include instruction during Celebrate Freedom Week in each social studies course on the “original intent, meaning and importance” of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, and the historical context of those documents.
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Arizona Students Could Receive Expanded Instruction on America's Founding Principles Under Senator Finchem Bill Sent to Governor
The instruction would apply to students in grades one through twelve and would also cover the relationship between the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence and several periods and movements in American history, including the nation’s history as a country of immigrants, the American Revolution, the creation of the Constitution, the abolitionist movement, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the women’s suffrage movement.
For students in grades three through twelve, the measure would require a recitation of the passage from the Declaration of Independence already referenced in state law under duties assigned to the State Board of Education.
Students would not be required to participate in the recitation if a parent submits a written request to excuse the student, if the school determines that the student has a conscientious objection, or if the student’s parent is a representative of a foreign government to which the United States extends diplomatic immunity.
Celebrate Freedom Week would be defined as either the instructional week that includes Sept. 17 or another instructional week designated by the public school’s governing body. The bill would allow the State Board of Education to adopt rules and policies to implement the requirement and would require the board to ensure public schools do not censor the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, or Bill of Rights to exclude religious references.
SB 1572 passed the Senate on Feb. 26 by a 16-12-2 vote and passed the House on June 11 by a 31-23-6 vote. It was transmitted to the governor the following day.
“This bill was brought forward by a constituent with language from a similar bill that was passed into law by the Texas Legislature,” said Finchem. “If our students don’t know where their civil rights come from, how will they resist attempts to separate them from their civil rights?”
Finchem said the measure is intended to strengthen students’ understanding of the country’s founding principles.
“Too many students graduate without a basic understanding of the principles that shaped our nation and continue to protect our freedoms today,” Finchem said. “A strong civics education helps students understand not only how our government works, but why the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights matter. If we want future generations to preserve liberty, they first need to understand the ideas and sacrifices that made liberty possible. This bill helps ensure Arizona students receive that foundation.”
Arizona already requires American civics education as part of the state’s high school social studies standards. Under A.R.S. § 15-701.01, the State Board of Education must prescribe social studies standards that include American civics education and a comparative discussion of political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
State law also requires students to pass a civics test based on the civics portion of the U.S. naturalization test in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency diploma.
The department’s 2026 Arizona Civics Test Administration Manual says students are required to score 70% or higher beginning with the graduating class of 2026 and may take the test between grades seven and twelve.
SB 1572 would add a separate requirement for annual instruction during Celebrate Freedom Week in public school social studies courses.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced earlier this month that the Arizona Department of Education will receive $300,000 in grant funding to expand its teacher apprenticeship and mentoring program amid the state’s ongoing teacher shortage.
According to a statement from the Arizona Department of Education (AZED), the department is among the sub-recipients of grant funds awarded by the National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) through the private, nonprofit Ascendium Education Group. AZED will receive $300,000 over the next two years to support approximately 100 apprentices and mentor teachers statewide.
“This is excellent news because recruiting, training and supporting teachers is vital and the teacher shortage has reached catastrophic proportions,” Horne said. “These funds will be used to expand our already-robust efforts to help bring more teachers into the profession and retain those valuable educators currently in the classroom.”
Superintendent Horne announces $300K in grant funds to help recruit, train more teachers–apprenticeships help address chronic shortage. A new $300,000 grant will be used by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to expand its existing teacher apprenticeship and mentoring… pic.twitter.com/EtkADSdl0K
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) June 9, 2026
The department said the grant will expand AZED’s existing teacher apprenticeship and mentoring program. According to AZED, the Arizona Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program prepares future educators through paid, hands-on classroom experience under the mentorship of experienced teachers while apprentices complete educator preparation coursework.
Horne said the state has developed alternate pathways for prospective teachers who did not attend an education college but have the content knowledge needed to teach.
“We have developed and implemented numerous ‘alternate pathways’ for those who did not go to education college but have the content knowledge needed to teach,” Horne said. “We must also continue to push for more help for educators by increasing teacher pay using State Land Trust funds with no new taxes, and ensuring school administrators support teachers on classroom discipline, the two major issues that teachers cite as reasons to leave the profession.”
The NCGYO said its National Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching Network includes states working to use registered apprenticeships in teaching to address educator shortages. According to the NCGYO, the network supports states and local partners as they develop registered apprenticeship pathways into the teaching profession.
According to AZED, NCGYO will provide technical assistance to participating states and local partners, including support with apprenticeship program registration, subgrant design and implementation, sustainability planning, and quality assurance.
The grant project’s stated goals include increasing the number of fully licensed teachers prepared through high-quality, debt-free apprenticeship programs; building state-level infrastructure and policy systems to sustain programs beyond philanthropic funding; and using the registered apprenticeship model to improve educator preparation while lowering the cost of earning a teaching degree.
Ascendium’s broader education philanthropy focuses on removing barriers for low-income learners and expanding postsecondary and workforce pathways.
NCGYO’s work sits within a broader national educator pipeline movement, promoted by some education policy groups as a tool to increase teacher diversity. A 2023 National Council on Teacher Quality report on policies to increase teacher diversity discusses “Grow Your Own” programs in that context and lists NCGYO founder David Donaldson as a contributor.
The AZED announcement describes the Arizona grant as funding teacher apprenticeships and mentor support and does not state that the funds are tied to a DEI program or mandate.
An Arizona coal-fired power plant will receive federal funding for modernization efforts under a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiative aimed at strengthening grid reliability and preserving dispatchable power generation.
According to the DOE, project selections announced under its Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Coal Fleet Projects program, Arizona Electric Power Cooperative’s (AEPCO) Apache Generating Station will receive approximately $21 million in DOE funding along with $32 million in non-DOE funding. The project is one of several selected nationwide as part of the Trump administration’s effort to support coal-fired generation infrastructure.
The Apache project, known as RECOAL — Revitalizing Energy Capacity with Optimized Assets and Long-Life Infrastructure — is intended to modernize the facility’s coal generation assets, improve operational efficiency, and extend the useful life of existing infrastructure.
Arizona Corporation Commissioner Nick Myers highlighted the project in a statement following the federal announcement.
“In the recent announcement from the administration, Arizona is benefiting from the money designated to keep coal plants open,” Myers wrote. “The Apache Generating Station is getting about $21M in DOE funding and $32M in non-DOE funding. This will help modernize the plant to increase efficiency and retain that dispatchable energy for years to come.”
In the recent announcement from the administration, Arizona is benefiting from the money designated to keep coal plants open. The Apache Generating Station is getting about $21M in DOE funding and $32M in non-DOE funding. This will help modernize the plant to increase…
— Nick Myers – Arizona Corporation Commissioner (@votenickmyers) June 5, 2026
The funding was announced as part of a broader DOE initiative described in a department fact sheet titled “The Energy Department is Unleashing Beautiful Clean Coal.” According to the agency, the initiative supports projects to build, recommission, upgrade, and modernize coal-related energy infrastructure in order to strengthen electric grid reliability and maintain generation resources capable of providing power on demand.
The DOE stated that it has now “saved or supported” 45 coal plants and more than 40 gigawatts of coal-powered generation through actions taken since President Donald Trump declared a National Energy Emergency. The department said its latest actions include support for 17 additional coal plants and one coal export facility.
According to the DOE fact sheet, the coal fleet projects are intended to strengthen domestic energy production, improve power system resilience, and ensure sufficient dispatchable generation capacity as electricity demand increases. The agency cited growing power needs for artificial intelligence, data centers, manufacturing, and national security as factors driving the initiative.
“American coal miners remain essential to American energy dominance,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said.”Unfortunately, previous leaders launched relentless attacks on U.S. coal workers and industry, threatening grid reliability and driving energy prices higher for the American people. Thanks to President Trump, we are not only stopping the premature closure of our coal plants, but also taking steps to expand and modernize existing coal infrastructure. These actions will help ensure affordable, reliable, and secure energy access for decades to come.”
The Apache Generating Station is located in Cochise County and supplies power to rural electric cooperatives and other customers in Arizona and the surrounding region. Under the DOE-supported project, modernization efforts are expected to improve efficiency and support continued operation of the facility’s existing generation assets.
The Trump administration also intervened in Arizona’s coal-powered energy sector in 2025, using emergency authorities to support continued operations at the Cholla Power Plant in Navajo County.
