Voters’ personal information was exposed after Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ office accidentally publicized them in violation of the law.
For nearly two years, Fontes’ office avoided publicization of the mishap. Their communications remained limited to the victims of the accidental publicization.
It was Votebeat who first found and reported on secretary of state records detailing the blunder this week. Fontes didn’t provide comment for the article. However, his chief of staff did go on the record.
Nearly 400 voters were impacted in the unintended disclosure in 2024. These voters were part of Arizona’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP), which promises confidentiality for certain individuals with court orders of protection from the publicization of personal information like home addresses and phone numbers.
ACP members are often victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, or stalking. Some are members of the justice system, including police officers.
According to these email records uncovered by Votebeat, Fontes staffers failed to notice their accidental publicization of protected voters’ information for nearly nine months. It was only by chance at a meeting that one keen-eyed staffer realized the mistake.
Fontes’ office said the former director of voter registration, administration, and technology, Craig Stender, was to blame. Stender passed away in March.
Stender denied wrongdoing immediately around the time of the office’s discovery of the error, which occurred in October 2024. Email correspondence from Stender indicated a breakdown in communication between the analyst who pulled the data and Stender.
Fontes’ chief of staff, Keely Varvel, told the secretary of state’s human resources department in an email that Stender had incorrectly instructed an analyst on pulling voter records. Stender was fired in October 2024.
Varvel told Votebeat that the records, properly pulled, would have been redacted automatically.
Staffers responded to impacted voters with information detailing what entities received their confidential records. This included a researcher at the University of Arizona and four out-of-state political data firms. One recipient passed along the protected voter records to another out-of-state political data firm.
While Fontes has publicly declared his commitment to protecting voter information, he never publicly announced this breach in trust concerning his office’s handling of confidential voter data.
Much of that rhetoric has centered around Fontes’ fight with the Trump administration over voter records. A federal court ruled that the Trump administration didn’t have justification to require Fontes to turn over voter registration records.
The Department of Justice sought Arizona’s entire voter registration list, which includes the full name, date of birth, home address, and driver’s license number or last four digits of a Social Security number.
Fontes has also been very public in his criticisms of attempts to go after noncitizen voters.
Fontes has asked Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap to send him the information on the alleged hundreds of noncitizen voters discovered in Heap’s county. Heap opted to go to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office with the information, much to the chagrin of Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes. (Following two warning letters from Mayes, Heap did comply and submit the noncitizen voter list to Mayes’ office for investigation).
Fontes cast doubt on the accuracy of Heap’s noncitizen voter list, arguing that the federal database used by election officials to confirm citizenship had a high error rate and couldn’t be trusted without further verification.
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The group seeking to end Arizona’s universal school choice program declared that it doesn’t have to disclose the percentage of out-of-state funds.
A complaint filed in April alleged the Protect Education, Accountability Now Committee (PEANC) falsely advertised that only 9% of contributions came from out of state.
PEANC’s ballot initiative, the Protect Education Act, would impose an income cap limiting enrollment in Arizona’s school choice program, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, and eliminate funding rollover.
PEANC claimed in a response submitted on Friday and obtained by AZ Free News that Arizona law only requires the percentage of out-of-state contributors, not out-of-state contributions.
The section of Arizona law at issue (A.R.S. § 16-925) states the following:
“In addition to the disclosure required by subsection A of this section, a political action committee that makes an expenditure for an advertisement shall include a disclosure stating: […] The aggregate percentage of out-of-state contributors as calculated at the time the advertisement was produced for publication, display, delivery or broadcast. The disclosure shall state ‘paid for by _____’ as prescribed by subsection A of this section, followed by ‘with _____% from out-of-state contributors’ with the blank to be filled by the aggregate percentage prescribed by this paragraph.”
Counsel for PEANC argued in its response letter that, while nearly $4.5 million of its $4.6 million in net contributions did come from Washington, D.C. labor organizations, only 9% of all contributors to PEANC were from out of state.
“This text requires disclosure of the aggregate percentage of out-of-state contributors — i.e., based on contributor counts — not dollar amounts or ‘aggregate funding,’ and that percentage is calculated ‘at the time the advertisement was produced,’” stated PEANC’s counsel, Barton Mendez Soto. “The word ‘contributors’ refers to the people or entities making contributions, not the dollar amounts of their contributions.”
PEANC’s counsel said their interpretation accurately reflected what they dubbed the “contributors-percentage metric” represented by the statute.
The complainant, Jack Pannell, filed his complaint with the secretary of state after he observed a disclaimer on the bottom of PEANC’s website claiming that out-of-state contributors accounted only for 9% of total funding.
An archived version of the site captured in early February reflected an out-of-state contributions disclosure that totaled 50%.
Major Arizona-native donors to the PEANC came nowhere near the millions posted to PEANC’s finance reports; these donors include Arizonans For Quality Education (AFQE), $50,000; Nita and Phil Francis, $25,000; and the Arizona Education Association, $10,000.
Approximately 99% of AFQE’s funding has been tied to “shadow sponsors,” meaning unnamed corporations and LLCs. The remaining funds, less than half of a percent, came from an individual named Christopher “Chris” Kotterman on behalf of the Friends of ASBA, an affiliate of the Arizona School Boards Association.
Kotterman has served as Gov. Katie Hobbs’ senior policy advisor since late 2024.
The Protect Education Act would need about 256,000 signatures to make the ballot. The petition-filing deadline is July 2.
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The principal who went viral in the Valley for barring parents from attending eighth grade graduation due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity played a key role in banning a parent from another school campus in violation of the First Amendment.
This week wasn’t the first time that Bronwyn Sternberg, principal at the Cecil Shamley School in the Tempe Elementary School District (TESD), has kept parents off campus for reportedly political reasons.
In February 2020, Sternberg participated in the ban of a parent, Rebecca Hartzell, from the premises of Marana Unified School District’s Dove Mountain School. Sternberg was an associate principal at the time, and identified in a Supreme Court filing as an official who coordinated Hartzell’s removal. The Arizona District Court ruled in March that district officials had unconstitutionally retaliated against Hartzell for her speech, consistent with a prior finding in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A jury awarded Hartzell $200,000.
Now, a little over six years later, Sternberg has taken another action to keep parents off campus in relation to a highly politicized issue.
On Wednesday, Sternberg informed parents that they wouldn’t be permitted to attend their child’s eighth grade graduation to prevent any additional ICE detainments.
Immigration authorities detained a Cecil Shamley School mother and her son off school property on Tuesday. This prompted Sternberg to call off all outside attendance to the promotion ceremony, which occurred on Thursday.
ICE issued a statement explaining that it arrested the mother, 47-year-old Margoth Del Pilar Paredes-Ortiz of Ecuador, on referral by Border Patrol for suspicion of illegal alien smuggling. Paredes-Ortiz was subject to a removal order from an immigration judge issued last March.
Per ICE, Paredes-Ortiz voluntarily requested that her son, also an illegal alien from Ecuador with a final order of removal, be returned with her to Ecuador.
Federal law requires equal public school access to all children regardless of immigration status.
Paredes-Ortiz and her son were taken to a Texas facility for deportation proceedings.
Sternberg said that closing the graduation ceremony off to parents and other guests was a matter of safety. Sternberg said students from the sixth and seventh grades would be allowed to attend instead, and that parents would receive a recorded video of the promotion ceremony.
“This change may be disappointing for some families; however, we feel it is truly in the best interest of our students and staff. I appreciate the partnership, kind words, and questions that I have received from our parents. Thank you for your cooperation as we prioritize our students,” said Sternberg.
Libs of TikTok shared a copy of the letter to parents in a viral post.
BREAKING: @TempeElementary Principal Bronwyn Sternberg sent a letter to families informing them that parents and guests will NOT be allowed to attend students' graduation after a reported illegal alien parent and her child were arrested by ICE near the school. pic.twitter.com/TGRxTFsqcT
Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) visited the detained family and indicated he was working to secure their release. Stanton and Arizona’s other elected Democrats have given illegal aliens constituent privileges and prioritized them in their constituent work.
I’m sickened that a Tempe student and their parent were violently detained by ICE and taken to a detention center in Texas just before his 8th grade promotion.
Terrorizing a child, ripping them from their community, and forcing them into detention is beyond cruel. It is inhumane… https://t.co/n7i1jv9J1W
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) May 28, 2026
Shamley School students conducted a walkout from school in protest of the Paredes-Ortiz family’s deportation.
Sternberg became principal of Cecil Shamley School in 2023.
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The two candidates for the Republican primary in the attorney general’s race took to the debate stage on Thursday.
Rodney Glassman and Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) exchanged jabs about the legitimacy of the other’s status as an attorney.
Glassman first ran for public office as a Democrat in the 2010 U.S. Senate race, where his campaign video “Sweet Home Arizona” went viral. Glassman lost to the incumbent, the late Sen. John McCain. Since then, Glassman has made unsuccessful runs in other races as a Republican candidate: Arizona Corporation Commission in 2018, Maricopa County assessor in 2020, and attorney general in 2022.
Petersen has been a Republican since he first ran for public office in 2012, where he won in the Arizona House of Representatives race for the 12th district. He has served in the Arizona legislature since then.
During Thursday night’s debate, Glassman said Petersen was problematic for engaging in bipartisanship to secure a state budget every year under the Democratic leadership of Gov. Katie Hobbs and incumbent Attorney General Kris Mayes.
Glassman argued that Petersen allowing the passage of several state budgets with a Democrat attorney general in power, Kris Mayes, was improper for a Republican to have done. Glassman blamed Petersen for Mayes filing 42 lawsuits against the Trump administration.
Petersen said Glassman was “not a serious candidate,” in part for making that argument. Petersen said the implications of refusing to fund the attorney general’s office in the state budget would effectively defund law enforcement, which he called “reckless” on Glassman’s part. Petersen did clarify that the Republican-led legislature had cut Mayes’ budgeting.
“We have cut [Mayes’] funding, to hold her accountable, and she sued us [the legislature],” said Petersen.
Petersen claimed Glassman lacked any noteworthy professional experience, save for a status as a perennial candidate — first as a Democrat, then a Republican.
ICYMI: Rodney Glassman let the mask slip. He admitted he supports defunding law enforcement and opposes Republican budgets that fund public safety. Watch Warren Petersen completely dismantle him. Rodney spoke like a radical lefty. When someone tells you who they are, believe them pic.twitter.com/vcWocWKapB
— AZ Politics War Room (@AZPolWarRoom) May 29, 2026
Glassman said he supports President Donald Trump and his agenda. This represents a flip from the years leading up to this race in which Glassman aligned with mainstream Democrat policies on major issues like abortion, border security, campaign finance, public education, energy, healthcare, and taxation.
Glassman also stressed his experience as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force JAG Corps Reserve at Luke Air Force Base.
ICYMI👇
Last night, I went head-to-head with my Republican primary opponent. While he resorted to false, unproven attacks, I focused on what actually matters: experience.
Arizona Republicans want to fire Kris Mayes this November. I’m the only candidate with the background to… pic.twitter.com/gZKyJgwn8T
Petersen responded with a claim that personnel within the Luke Air Force Base legal department have denied knowing Glassman.
Petersen said under his administration, the state would enter into a 287(g) agreement to assist immigration enforcement with deportations. Petersen also promised to prioritize election integrity regardless of the party in power. Glassman vowed a loyalty to Trump on the matters of election integrity, alluding to some doubts about the validity of the 2020 election.
Petersen also said he would approach the state’s water crisis through a focus on water augmentation, specifically by 2.5 million-acre feet. Glassman didn’t offer a solution that could be heard (that portion of the debate faced technical difficulties), but instead cited his doctorate in arid-land sciences and environmental law degree from the University of Arizona.
Petersen called Glassman “a trust-fund baby” whose entire occupation is running for office, and that Glassman was a candidate “who lies about everything” and belongs in prison.
Recent polling shows Petersen as favored to win the Republican primary for attorney general.
Glassman has raised over $3 million for his campaign, $1 million of which came from his own pocket (33%). $77,500 came from interest or dividends received from banks.
Petersen has raised over $1.4 million for his campaign, $123,000 of which came from his own pocket (8%).
The Arizona Clean Elections Commission hosted the hourlong debate:
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This week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the Supreme Court to uphold Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting.
The DOJ filed a brief in Republican National Committee, et al. v. Mi Familia Vota, et al. (case Nos. 25-1017, 25-1019, and 25-1022).
The case will determine whether the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) prohibits states from: removing noncitizens from voter rolls within 90 days of an election, requiring individuals to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections using the state registration form, and denying individuals the ability to vote by mail if they don’t provide documentary proof of citizenship.
These questions emerged from House Bills 2243 and 2492; both passed in 2022. Together, these bills require the secretary of state and county recorders to regularly review voter rolls, mandate registrants using the state registration form provide proof of citizenship, and prohibit vote by mail for federal-only voters.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the NVRA does preempt that legislation, impacting any similar citizenship proof measures taken by other states concerning their voting laws.
The federal court ruled the provisions in the Arizona laws amounted to unlawful voter suppression and were therefore unconstitutional. The court determined that voters must be allowed to vote federal ballots at least, even when they fail to provide proof of citizenship.
The respondents in the present litigation — Mi Familia Vota, Voto Latino, Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander for Equity Coalition, Democratic National Committee, and the Arizona Democratic Party — want to preempt Arizona and other states from imposing proof-of-citizenship limitations on voting.
Jesus Osete, principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in the DOJ announcement that the NVRA doesn’t prohibit states from removing noncitizens from voter rolls.
In its filing, the DOJ argued the lower court’s ruling conflicted with the NVRA since it would effectively render state forms into mere replicas of the federal form. States would lack the flexibility afforded by the NVRA, said the DOJ.
The DOJ filing argued that proof-of-citizenship requirements were harmonious with NVRA requirements to increase the number of eligible citizens registered to vote and ensure the maintenance of accurate and current voter rolls.
“When noncitizens with no right to shape American government vote in American elections, the ballot box no longer speaks for the People, because its tally no longer reflects their voice,” argued the DOJ.
Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) said he was “thrilled” by the Trump administration’s intervention.
“Only U.S. citizens should vote in our elections,” said Petersen. “Excited for SCOTUS to take up this important case.”
Thrilled the Trump DOJ is backing Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship requirements! Only U.S. citizens should vote in our elections. Excited for SCOTUS to take up this important case. https://t.co/xWBiciTxjV
The Supreme Court has already overruled the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on one of the issues in 2024. The Supreme Court allowed Arizona to enforce its proof-of-citizenship requirement for state voter registration forms, but refused to allow enforcement of the requirement for those registering with federal forms.
That follows the precedent set in 2013, when the Supreme Court ruled that the NVRA prohibited Arizona from requiring proof of citizenship of those voters registering to vote with the federal voter registration form.
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