by Matthew Holloway | Jun 10, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a statement released via X on Sunday, the group ‘Veterans for Arizona’ asked United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins why allegations against Democrat Senator Ruben Gallego have not been investigated. The allegations stem from prominent 2023 reports that Gallego claimed both his residences in Arizona and Washington, D.C., as his primary residence in order to benefit from special VA mortgage rates granted as a benefit to U.S. Veterans.
During Gallego’s 2024 U.S. Senate Campaign, Politico stated that Gallego purchased his Washington, D.C., home near the Capitol claiming that it was his primary residence on documentation for a VA home loan, while the then-Congressman and his wife also claimed their Phoenix home as their primary residence.
Citing loan documents the outlet obtained, Politico reported that Gallego’s campaign officially maintained that his primary residence is located in Arizona, as required by election law, despite the documentation of his Washington, D.C., home.
In June 2023, after the reports initially appeared in Politico, the National Republican Senate Committee raised the concern that “Gallego signed loan documents making Washington, D.C., his primary residence to obtain favorable mortgage rates, while at the same time taking advantage of homeowner tax breaks and voting in Arizona. This raises questions about whether Gallego committed fraud on his loan application.”
The NRSC also noted that the revelation of Gallego’s alleged mortgage fraud came to light just weeks after his links to a bank targeting immigrants were exposed by AZCentral. The bank was later shut down according to the outlet.
NRSC spokesman Tate Mitchell told the Arizona Republic, “If Ruben Gallego signed fraudulent documents, that will be a serious issue for him in the election — and potentially with the authorities,” Mitchell said. “National Democrats are in a serious pickle as they choose between their incumbent, Kyrsten Sinema, and accused fraudster Ruben Gallego.”
“Legally, Gallego doesn’t have to live in his district to serve in Congress, this isn’t like legislative offices or most county offices,” one election law expert told the Arizona Daily Independent. However, they added, “His campaign does have to consider the optics and potential legality of what he’s doing. Claiming two primary residences in two different states to obtain favorable terms and to meet the requirements of the loans, even though both claims can’t be simultaneously true, isn’t something the average person does or even thinks to do. So it’s another Washington D.C., elite that laws don’t apply to, running for office claiming to be for the average Joes.”
Despite the allegations against him, Gallego was successful in his Senate bid and went on to become a harsh critic of VA Secretary Collins, with the Senator announcing plans to block all VA nominations in April until Collins drops plans to make staffing cuts to the VA in accordance with the Trump administration’s demands for government efficiency. Gallego reiterated the demand in May in a letter co-signed by fellow Arizona Democrats Senator Mark Kelly, and Representatives Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03).
Collins refuted Gallego’s claims however under questioning by Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) during a House Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing on May 15th, telling Hamadeh, “We’re not looking at doctors, we’re not looking at nurses. We’re looking at issues where we have payroll that’s being done at 60 locations, that was supposed to be centralized a long time ago, with hundreds of employees that we’re now looking to consolidate to see how we can run it efficiently and more cost effectively.”
He added, “We don’t need them all over the place, we don’t need the issues we have with human resources being run in every location, again, with hundreds of employees.”
“Frontline workers should be the happiest at the VA right now because we’re going to be freeing them up to do their job and not get bogged down with paperwork,” Collins noted per the Arizona Daily Independent.
As of this report, no investigation has been announced against Senator Gallego pertaining to the allegations raised by the NRSC following the Politico report.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 10, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s Republican Senate leadership issued a sharp condemnation of the violent anti-immigration enforcement riots, still raging in Los Angeles in a Monday press release. They also issued a direct call for Arizona’s Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes to “cooperate with the Trump Administration with enforcing federal immigration laws to keep Arizona communities safe from harm.”
According to Fox10 Phoenix, an anti-ICE protest took place in Phoenix near the Capitol building, but despite claiming to stand “in solidarity” with the violent rioters in LA, remained largely peaceful.
Senate President Warren Petersen said in the statement, “What’s unfolding in California under their radical leftist government is an atrocity. These are not protests. These are violent riots being carried out by criminal thugs with no regard for public safety. If protests here in Arizona escalate to rioting, the Hobbs Administration and Attorney General Mayes must be prepared to take action. I am calling on the governor and the attorney general to honor the oath of office they swore to uphold by cooperating with the Trump Administration on enforcement of federal immigration laws, deportations of criminal illegal aliens, and to hold accountable those who violate state laws when demonstrations spiral out of control.”
“Complete and total chaos is ensuing in California, and Democrat elected officials, including Arizona’s own Governor Hobbs, are banding together in support of this violence,” said President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope. “It is maddening that Hobbs would sign onto a letter from California’s Gruesome Newsom speaking out against President Trump for deploying the National Guard to protect American citizens from harm. Newsflash, Governor Hobbs- it’s not ‘an alarming abuse of power’ for a president to take this action to stop violent rioters. Federal law allows it.”
“Californians have found themselves in the middle of a warzone. I’m grateful the Trump Administration has mobilized the national guard, as well as marines, to stop the riots and restore order so that ICE agents can do their jobs,” said Senate Majority Whip Frank Carroll. “Anyone who harms our citizens, our law enforcement, or our military must be held accountable under the full force of the law. Arizona Senate Republicans stand with police officers, ICE agents, and our military members to ensure this violence does not spread across state lines or develop within Arizona.”
Responding to the Phoenix protest, a Phoenix Police spokesman said, “The Phoenix Police Department became aware of a group of individuals expressing their views near 10th Avenue and Van Buren this evening around 6:00 p.m. The group marched through portions of the downtown area and ultimately returned to where it began on Van Buren Street. Phoenix Police Officers along with Department of Public Safety Troopers were present and closed down streets after it was observed the group was walking in the roadway. Our duty continues to be ensuring the safety of all involved while treating everyone with dignity and respect.”
Rioting in Los Angeles, which began near the ICE detention center downtown and the Paramount neighborhood, escalated since Friday with numerous law enforcement vehicles damaged, officers injured, and several Waymo autonomous vehicles burned leading to the deployment of 2,000 National Guard Troops to protect federal property and personnel. By Monday, the deployment has ramped up to 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 United States Marines from nearby Camp Pendelton over the objections of Governor Gavin Newsom, Hobbs, and other Democrat politicians who called the deployment “ineffective and dangerous.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ02) introduced the bipartisan Legacy Mine Cleanup Act of 2025 alongside Arizona Democrats Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ04), Senator Mark Kelly, and Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. In the proposed legislation, the Office of Mountains, Deserts, and Plains (OMDP) within the EPA, launched in 2020 under by President Donald Trump, would be codified into law.
The OMDP, which enhances coordination between federal, state, and tribal agencies in hardrock mining cleanup, would establish congressional oversight of the office as well.
According to Crane, the codification of the OMDP under this bill would:
- “Encourage the EPA to prioritize responsible mine cleanup in Arizona over green initiatives,
- Ensure proper congressional oversight of its progress,
- Bolster the OMDP’s outreach to ensure that local and Tribal authorities have a seat at the table for cleanup projects that impact their health and environment,
- Provide guardrails to keep the office’s efforts focused on mine cleanup.”
“As we work to support domestic mining of critical minerals, it’s crucial that we remain committed to doing so responsibly. The consequences of poor stewardship are detrimental for the health and safety of those living in rural Arizona, particularly on the Navajo Nation,” Rep. Crane said in a statement. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that would help ensure reasonable and timely cleanup and increased congressional oversight of the process.”
In a post to X, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren publicly announced his support for the measure and thanked Rep. Crane and his co-sponsors.
“I want to thank Congressmen Eli Crane and Greg Stanton, Senators Mark Kelly and Cynthia Lummis, and all those involved in the introduction of the Legacy Mine Cleanup Act. This legislation is a critical step forward in addressing the long-standing health and environmental impacts of abandoned hardrock mines, especially on the Navajo Nation,” said Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren.
“By codifying the Office of Mountains, Deserts, and Plains at the EPA, this bill ensures Tribal nations like ours have a meaningful voice in mine cleanup efforts that directly impact our communities. We have lived with the consequences of these abandoned sites for far too long—this act represents accountability, cooperation, and real progress. Ahéheeʼ to everyone who has helped move this issue forward.”
“Abandoned hardrock mines put Arizona communities—especially Tribal nations—at a high risk of exposure to substances that are hazardous to their long-term health,” Rep. Greg Stanton said. “Our bipartisan legislation works to swiftly and responsibly mitigate this environmental threat, and makes sure Tribal and local authorities have a stronger voice in the process.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 8, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s federal immigration court in Phoenix became off-limits to anti-immigration enforcement protestors and journalists covering them on May 21st when private security ordered them off the property. On May 28th, the Phoenix Police Department issued another warning to the protestors that they could be criminally cited for trespassing. The situation in Arizona is unique for the activists seeking to disrupt deportations because the Federal Immigration Court in Phoenix is located in a privately-owned office building.
Journalists covering the legal proceedings themselves are permitted inside the court as one would normally expect. However, the anti-ICE radicals who have sought to disrupt immigration proceedings in cities across the country, and the reporters following in their wake, are stymied by the newly installed “No Trespassing” signs and ropes to bar them from the private property.
The outlet reported Friday that activist groups and ASU’s First Amendment Clinic (FAC) expressed that the legal situation for protestors and reporters is unclear. Gregg Leslie, executive director of FAC explained, “Right now, it’s not all that clear because of the oddity of how this is all managed. Where the government’s rights take over versus the landlord’s rights, versus the other tenants’ rights.”
He added that the public “right of access,” exists largely as a function of whether a location is on publicly owned land or private land. This is complicated by the courtroom’s location on the third floor of a privately owned building. “If it’s private land owned for public access, there are certain allowances for there being greater public access to it,” he told the outlet.
The protests and subsequent restrictions came following a series of arrests on May 20th and 21st which found dozens of illegal aliens arrested after immigration charges against them were dismissed. Protestors gathered in front of the building chanted “No More ICE!” among other slogans including Spanish profanity. At least one protestor allegedly attempted to pull off an officer’s face covering.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 7, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In the wake of what Turning Point PAC has declared “the largest launch event in Arizona gubernatorial primary history,” the political action committee has announced a massive initial media buy supporting Andy Biggs in his primary challenge against fellow-Republican Karrin Taylor Robson.
The upcoming media-buy is set to total over $500,000 without accounting for the Saturday “Biggs for Governor” Rally hosted by Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC, which itself amounted to “an additional $780,000 in earned media value (EMV),” according to a press release.
Per the PAC, the $500k media buy will include “impactful ad placements that go live on strategic cable, over-the-top, radio and direct-to-voter placements most watched and listened to by local Arizonans.”
The $780k earned media value of the launch event includes clips, speeches, and promotional materials which were widely shared online during the weekend and reportedly generated 52.1 million impressions on social media according to Turning Point PAC.
“Taken as a whole with Turning Point PAC’s $500,000 media buy announcement, the organization’s independent expenditures and organizing to support Biggs’s primary launch already amounts to over $1,400,000,” the committee said in a statement.
“To see a room packed with thousands of Biggs supporters this far out from the primary was truly historic, and it’s proof of the grassroots energy that is already gathering behind his campaign. There isn’t a world in which voters will not be aware of Andy Biggs being on the ballot, and the more who find out, the more his double-digit lead over all other competitors will grow,” said Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA & Turning Point Action. “Andy Biggs is ready to bring a President Trump and Ron DeSantis level of leadership and competency to governing Arizona, and Turning Point is proud to get behind his campaign.”
Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC added, “Andy Biggs was the best Senate President Arizona has had in decades and he has been President Trump’s most reliable friend in Congress. He is Trump-endorsed, Charlie Kirk endorsed, and Turning Point Action endorsed. His campaign momentum is already building at an incredible clip and we’ve barely just begun. The media buy combined with Biggs’s impressive earned media exposure shows how enthusiastic the grassroots is to make Andy Biggs the next governor of Arizona.”
The media spending blitz comes alongside more good news for Biggs. A recent poll from American Commitment shows Biggs with a commanding lead over Taylor Robson in the 2026 Republican primary election for governor. Conducted by Kreate Strategies, the poll shows Biggs (57% support) leads Taylor Robson (25% support) by 32 points.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
